With All My Art and Soul
by LoLMelody
Summary: Maria is an art student with a wild mouth and even wilder attitude.  How will Kyoya tame this wild American beauty?  And what happens when her younger sister, wilder yet, falls for Tamaki? Rated M for Maria's mouth, thoughts, and some later lemony themes
1. Enter Maria

**Alright, so here goes my first ever Kyoya fic!**

**Alright, I have a few comments to make. First, my character is based a little bit off of my own personality, just because I've found that my inner self is...rather interesting. It's a bit like looking at yourself, and Maria came to life when I thought about what would happen if I was whisked away to Ouran and I was more extreme in my emotions and anger than I already am. No, this is not self-insertion, and no, this is not me trying to be perfect. You will learn quite quickly that Maria is not that kind of character. I made her that way on purpose because my other stories are very Mary Sue-ish and rather disgusting in some ways. People aren't perfect no matter who they are.**

**With that in mind, please also keep in mind that, although I love Ouran High School Host Club, I do have some characterization problems. Kyoya is freakin' hard to write, and let me tell you, getting him to say things isn't hard...getting him to say things in the right way, with the right kind of vocabulary and the right tone, is. So cut me some slack, make some suggestions, and overall, just do what you came here for: read for the simple enjoyment. Many of you who write Kyoya will agree that he is hard and that it is hard to find a fic that puts him completely into perspective and stays true to him enough to satisfy. I have a hard time, anyway.**

**So, any OC's are of course mine, as well as this story. Characters belong to Bisco, and any other things mentioned in here belong to their respective authors/owners.**

**So without further ado, onto my first fic, which I hope you will greatly enjoy!**

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><p>Art Studio Four. My sanctuary. My favorite room in this God-forsaken place filled with rich snobs and snooty bitches. I'm not at all like them—I'm American through and through, here on a scholarship. Yep, I'm just your normal, everyday, stupid commoner who doesn't possess any sort of tact or manners, so I've been told. Whatever, I don't care what these upper crust assholes and bitches have to say, I like the way I am. I like the ability to say what I feel when I feel like it. I don't care if no one likes it, I don't need them anyway. They all just want to screw me over anyway.<p>

If you can't tell yet, I'm quite the pessimist. I'm also very fluent in sarcasm, which I'm sure you'll find out very quickly.

I push my very much American light brown hair out of my face. My complexion, not quite as white as many of these pasty, weak, dishrag, upper crust humanoids, is marred with the occasional mark of acne. Being 17 and all, it makes sense. Just past the average puberty age in America, so the raging hormones are starting to die. Though in all honesty, I don't think they were ever a problem in the first place. I'm concentrating on the work of art in front of me—a sketch of one of the many vast gardens in this place, Ouran Private High School. I happen to have my hair up in a ponytail at the moment, so that it's out of my way, and because I tend to do a lot of movement when I draw, paint or sculpt. My bangs are the only thing that hang in my face, and they're rather long. Unable to afford the uniform at this school, I show up in clothes I'm used to wearing in the states: jeans, a comfortable T-shirt, and my favorite pair of walking tennis shoes. I stand out like a sore thumb amongst these fuddy duddies, but I don't care.

Oh, and I'm extremely apathetic, in case you haven't noticed by now.

Worst part is, I'm in class 2-A, the highest class of second years, because of my 'outstanding academic performance', as the school has dubbed. If it weren't for the fact that this school is filled to the brim with geniuses, I'm sure I'd be top in the class. However, settling for third doesn't sound like such a bad idea anymore, considering that these people probably had private tutors and I got here on my own sweat, tears, and frustrations. I'm proud of that fact, and I try to make sure anyone who tries to tell me that I'm 'lesser' know that I got where I'm at because I'm good at something, not because mama and papa are shooting green out of their earholes.

That's right, earholes. My own, one-of-a-kind, made up word. And I love using it.

I suppose it's because somewhere deep down, I want to fit in, but it doesn't seem very likely at the moment. I stick out, I'm apathetic, and admittedly, I am very rude to a lot of people. I guess it's the conniving American in me, or the way my mother raised me, but I don't care. I don't care what people think, what they say, what they do, because they don't matter. All that matters in the world of the poor and underprivileged is using what you're given to the best of your abilities and giving up the dream of having everything you want, because it's not going to happen. You can only ever rely on yourself, no one else, to help you. My mama and papa are poor as can be—before I was born, they were living on welfare. My father has worked his entire life to get to where he's at with little more than tech degrees in mechanics and electric work. My mother used to be an accountant, but she gave that up when she decided to have kids. She spent all of the years I've grown up taking care of my sisters and I. I have two younger siblings, one in high school, another in middle school, and we're poor. Poor monetarily, wealthy with love, and in reality it's all we need. It's all we've ever needed. We all made sacrifices and have had to give up on dreams, but hey, that's life. Something these hoity-toity prick bastards could never understand.

I'll be the first to admit I'm jealous. Of course I'm jealous. How could a poor person not be jealous of the rich? After all, when someone has everything you want, you loathe them. It's a given. Even if they never harm you, never do anything to you, you envy them and loathe them. One of the seven deadly sins that occur so naturally because of the class systems of the world of democracy.

Sometimes, I wonder if China has the right idea.

So how does poor, apathetic, angry-at-the-world, rich-loathing me get into the prestigious Ouran Private High School? I'm here on an academic scholarship, but my fine arts scholarship pays for the housing. After all, what poor family can afford to send their oldest daughter to Japan? I used what little money I've saved up over the years to fly myself here, and the rest was paid for by my fine arts scholarship. I do mostly drawing and painting—pretty average stuff. It impressed the prestigious art teachers here, enough to where they wanted me to come just so they could have the 'honor' –their words, not mine—of being my teachers and artistic cultivators. I personally thought it was a load of whack, but I can't say I'm not grateful they gave me the full room and board plus stipends scholarship. If not for that I'd still be in that shithole of a school in the middle of nowhere outside of Las Vegas.

I'm not very involved here, in all honesty—there's just not that much to do. Aside from complimentary private lessons from my teachers and the occasional run to the bookstore or cafe around the corner from my apartment, I'm pretty much bored to tears. Schoolwork is mediocre at best, though it's better than what I was getting in the U.S. I was lucky enough to start learning Japanese from a very young age, though I'm 100% German-Irish descent. I've moved a lot of places in the U.S., met a lot of people, and I've always been a secret otaku. I draw my own manga from time to time, I watch anime avidly, and now I can do it without the English subs. It's just a skill I learned slowly over time. On my own, I bought books where I could and checked out books just so I could learn. When I reached high school I was able to take Japanese language courses, which really helped. I speak it fluently, to sum things up, so the opportunity to leave the wonderfully fantastic America and come to the even more spectacular Japan, with their hot boys and amazing Yaoi conventions, was one that I took up instantly. My family was so happy for me, and my mother told me I had to take advantage of the opportunity, so I did. Once in a lifetime, she said. I'm here for the remainder of high school, and once I finish I have a higher chance of getting into Tokyo University—my dream school—with a full ride. Needless to say, I'm glad this opportunity came into my life. I didn't want to be stuck in the ho hum, humdrum, bland life I've always had. This is definitely a welcome change.

"McMillan-san, why are you still here? It's rather late...you should be heading home." My teacher, Mr. Okizawa, had always been so kind. He's like my father away from home. He's been looking out for me since I arrived. I turn to him and smile.  
>"No, I think I'll stay a while longer. Thanks, Okizawa-sama." I say, going back to my easel. I know that he would like to leave for the day, but he knows that leaving me alone is perfectly alright. If anything, he comes back in the morning to find me either in the same place or at least the sight of the room rearranged and reorganized.<br>"Alright then. I'll bid you good night. Be sure not to forget that Ishizu-san wants you to check the music wing as well as the art wing today to make sure all of the doors are locked." I nod to him, wiping a bit of sweat from my forehead, knowing full well that graphite and rubber shavings are no doubt painted across the top of my face now.

"I won't forget. She is paying me for this job, after all. Good night, Okizawa-sama." I say as he waves to me. I continue sketching, and once finished with the first draft, decide that I've hurt my back enough and pack up. I clean and reorganize the room, then leave and lock the door behind me. I roam the art hallway and lock all six art rooms. I move down the hallway, turn left, and follow the outdoor connection between the art and music hallways. I come to the music rooms, and one by one I start to close them. It isn't until I hear beautiful piano music that I stop my process. I walk further down the hallway, turn, and hear the music getting closer. Curious—having been in choir and band in high school—I wanted to know who it was that was playing so beautifully. Snobby or not, I had to know. It was in my nosy nature to know who was creating such beautiful art so late in the day.

I don't even bother looking at the room number I walk into. Instead, I quietly—almost silently—open the door and slip inside. I set down my large art case, as well as the clangy keys, and tiptoe forward. I manage to stop at the back of a couch before my jaw drops, and for good reason, I assure you.

At the piano sits a blond boy, probably about my age, who is strikingly handsome. His hair is shining, shaggy, but nonetheless trimmed and well-manicured. I bet his absence of split ends could put my hair to shame. His eyes were closed, but the soft, sad smile told more of a story than I think his eyes could. He was in his own world, loving the music he was playing, caressing it beautifully with his fingers. It was as if those keys were his canvas, and the paint was the sounds he produced. I closed my own eyes, and it was as if I was connected to the music. It seemed to pull me in, invisible strings wrapping around me and gently lurching me along with every phrase.

"Tamaki, it seems we have a visitor. An admirer of yours, by the looks of it." At the smooth, suave sound of a voice behind me, I jump out of my skin—figuratively, of course—and manage to get my clumsy self to tumble over the back of the couch and land on my bottom.

Curse gravity and my long legs. I hate you both.

"Miss, are you alright? Are you hurt at all?" I look up into the face of the blond boy and stare into deep blue eyes. However, my current situation has made me a bit sour.  
>"No, I just fell over the back of a couch. No big deal, happens every day. I'm totally okay." The sarcastic tone in my voice is thick, which means my accent is as well. I feel like a total idiot right now, but I was caught off guard. Guess that's what I get for intruding.<br>"...Really? You should be more careful then...are you sure you're not hurt?" He asked, and I sighed, standing up.  
>"Yeah, I'm fine. Maybe my ass will be bruised tomorrow, but I think what's hurt more is my pride. That was a pretty embarrassing tumble I took." I say admittedly. No use trying to hide it or say 'I meant to do that, I really did'. It's useless by now.<br>"Such coarse language doesn't suit an exotic beauty such as yourself! Tell me your name, my princess, so that I may know the illustrious face in front of me!" He's now on one knee, holding my hand, almost about to kiss it. I guess now wouldn't be the time to tell him about the amount of sweat, graphite, rubber shavings, and grease on those fingers. Though it would be funny to see his reaction.

"Maria. Maria McMillan. And...could you possibly stand? You look like a fool kneeling like that." I say, and I can tell I've wounded his pride.  
>"You hurt me with your words, princess. After all, I'm only here to serve you!" He says, standing to his full height. I swear that I see an abundance of flowers and sparkles as he spreads on arm wide, the other on his chest, in an introductory and dramatic manner.<p>

So he's one of those. The insanity surely makes sense. As much as I love being an otaku, these types of men make the clichés in the stories come to life. You'd think it would make me giddy. In reality it's a little more like it disturbs the hell out of me.

"Tamaki, I think that's unnecessary. She doesn't seem to be taking your flattery." That same suave voice startles me yet again, and I put a hand on my heart. He's still behind me, I realize. I turn around to see him, and quite honestly, I find this guy even more attractive than the blithering idiot behind me.

He was taller than me, which was a plus—being five foot eight inches has its disadvantages in this oriental country—and drop dead gorgeous. I wasn't sure if I was open mouthed and drooling, but if I wasn't, I was certain it would happen at any moment. Sharp contours and high cheekbones in his face screamed blue blood. His prim appearance made me wonder just how much the pair of spectacles on his face cost. Probably a fortune, since the lenses were surely made of diamonds and the frame crafted with pure onyx and silver. Looking past them though, I saw deep gray eyes, stormy, and they reminded me of a dark and stormy day in Missouri. Beautiful as they were, they were amazingly cold and analytical as well. He was slim, of course, being a teenage boy. In his hands were a black pen and a little black notebook. In all honesty, he's making me wonder if I'd been wrong when I'd said the raging hormones were no longer a problem.

"Could you not sneak up behind me? I hate that..." I mutter, looking away from him apathetically. Can't let him think that I'm thinking about jumping into the sack with him. That would be just downright creepy. Curse my dirty Yaoi and hentai crazed mind. Make me an internal creeper, go ahead.  
>"I'm sorry, McMillan-san, but you did come into this room unannounced. This room is closed off after hours." I shrug.<br>"I know that already. I'm the one that locks this place up, after all." I say, rolling my eyes in order to keep them off of the intellectually enticing man. However, the temptation is too much to resist. I look him in the eyes and, though he isn't surprised, the dark look in his eyes has lightened slightly.  
>"Oh, I see. We were just leaving, so you may continue about your business. You're an employee here, correct?" I shrug, uninterested.<br>"In a way. I get paid so I have a little extra money. I'm an art student here." I say simply, internally hoping he doesn't have any more questions for me. That way I can be on my way.  
>"You don't wear the Ouran uniform. How can you be a student?" I sigh, frustrated already. My extremely thin patience is wearing even thinner with every word that comes out of his mouth.<br>"I can't afford a uniform. I'm on academic and art scholarships here. I'm from a poor family in the U.S. I can't afford a uniform." I say, my voice surely getting testy and bitchy by now. He's aggravating an already sore subject. I don't like him already.

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't realize. I apologize if my words offended you." I turn to him, cocking an eyebrow.  
>"What makes you think you offended me?"<br>"You became rather defensive and upset after my questions. I figured I had upset you." I shake my head, sighing.  
>"I'm not that easily frazzled. I've been here long enough not to let the prejudices of the upper crust bother me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get home. I have a ton of homework to finish." I say, turning my back and walking toward the door.<br>"Your name was...what again?" I turn back to the bespectacled boy and cross my arms. He's got his notebook open and his pen ready to write.  
>"Writing a book or what? Why so many questions? I'm not that frickin' interesting." I say, picking my things up. I turn the blithering blond idiot who I have been ignoring since talking with this boy in front of me.<p>

"I must say, sir, you play beautifully. I'd like to hear you again sometime, if that's alright." I say to him, and his eyes start to sparkle.  
>"Anything for you, princess. Name a time and I will be here to play to your heart's content!" I roll my eyes at this whole 'princess' mantra, but continue anyway.<br>"Well, I'm free all afternoons after school is over. If you practice every day, I'd be more than happy to bring my work into this room and listen to you while I work. Is that alright?" I ask, and almost immediately he answers me.  
>"Yes, yes! Of course, princess, come to this music room every day if it pleases you! We can clear an area for you to work your magic, and I'd be more than happy to play for you! Do not hesitate to bring your beauty around us! We would be honored with your presence!"<br>"Right..." I say, dragging it out in sarcasm. This guy is a piece of work for sure. I turn to leave, and yet again that smooth voice stops me.  
>"You never did reiterate your name, miss." He says, an analytical look in his eyes. Purely information to him, nothing more.<br>"Maria. It's Maria McMillan. And what's the name of my interrogator?" I ask, cross my arms as my art case hangs across my body, my hip thrust out to the side. I'm clearly being sassy to him, but he seems to take it well. Good, he's not offended, not like I care, but it's one less thing I have to deal with.  
>"Ootori. Kyoya Ootori, McMillan-san." I turn to the blond next.<br>"And you?" I ask him. He smiles dramatically and elegantly, flying over to me—literally—and landing on one knee. He takes my hand, kisses my knuckles, then continues.

"I, princess, am Tamaki Suoh. It's a pleasure to make you acquaintance, Maria-chan. I look forward to spending many afternoons and evenings with you." I pull my hand away from him, wipe it absently, and nod.  
>"And this is music room...?" He stands with a brighter smile.<br>"This is music room three." The sterner, smoother voice answers for the blond idiot in front of me, who in turn gives him a look of disbelief.  
>"Right. Music room three. Got it. Make sure to lock the door on the way out. I'll get in trouble and get a paycut otherwise, and I don't want that." I say, turning my back and leaving the room.<p>

God, it's been a long day. I feel a DNAngel rerun is in order for tonight after homework.

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><p><strong>Okay, so that's the end of the first chapter. So what do you think of Maria? What do you think of her as a character? How do you see her fitting into the story? I've already got eight more chapters, well, nine actually, that are written and ready to go. I don't have a beta so anyone who wants to be one can just ask. This is my first Kyoya fic, and though I have written others in the past, this is the only one I've ever published. Constructive criticism is appreciated!<strong>

**All yours,**

**B-chan :)**


	2. Maria Meets the Host Club

**Okay, so here's chapter two! Yay! I would like to take a moment to dedicate this chapter to animelover610 and The-Dark-Love-Writer for subscribing to my story. I greatly appreciate it and I'm glad someone is at least looking at and (possibly) reading this story.**

**The same stuff applies. I need a beta, and I need to know what you guys think of Maria. I also would like to know a little later how well I'm progressing with the story, and it would be great if you guys could also point out plot holes, OOC-ness and the like. I'm only looking to improve so you guys enjoy this more, but without you I can't!**

**I own only Maria and other various OCs that will show up later in the story as well as this story idea. The rest belongs to Bisco Hatori (believe me, I would give anything and everything I own to have Kyoya, even though I'm 18 and he's...well...younger than that. Hehe :P).**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm having so much fun writing this story. It takes a while to get on it's way, but once it does romance will ensue rather quickly. Mild, of course, but it will still ensue. Enjoy!**

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><p>After the American girl—Maria McMillan, as she went by—left, Tamaki turned to Kyoya with a look of pure glee.<p>

"Did you see that, Kyoya? An American girl appreciates my music! They all aren't barbaric after all! She was really interesting, don't you think?" Kyoya pushed up his glasses in thought.  
>"Certainly. Though I failed to get more than her name and her purpose out of her. She looked a little older...a third year, possibly? I didn't get her class or anything. I can honestly say I've never seen her before. She stands out like a sore thumb, however." The boy said, and Tamaki started to sparkle.<br>"She was a beautiful woman! Sure, her dress is less than desirable, but that makes her so unique! I can't wait to have her presence with us tomorrow afternoon."  
>"You do realize that we have the club tomorrow? You failed to inform her about the Host Club. Do you honestly think she's going to take it well? With that personality, I have a feeling she'll walk out the moment she sees what goes on." Tamaki shook his head.<br>"No, no! She won't leave, I won't let her! She appreciates good music, and she's an art student! What magnificent works she must create to be in the art department! I simply must keep her hear to see her work firsthand!" Kyoya rolled his eyes as Tamaki began to rant more and more about the American girl they'd met. Personally, Kyoya found her a little bit abrasive. She didn't seem intelligent, more common sense wise than anything else, and she had an awful personality. She seemed extremely apathetic, which was stereotypical of artists, he reasoned. However, she still intrigued him to the smallest degree because she was so interestingly boring. There had to be more to her. She'd been quick to admit she was poor, which meant she wasn't ashamed of it. That alone was worth some investigation.

Maybe her visiting wouldn't be so bad after all.

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><p>"...What...the fuck...is this shit?" I breathed slowly through gritted teeth. The sight before me made me want to throw up on someone's shoes, preferably that blond imbecile's. Squealing girls, high-pitched giggles, swooning and fainting to the millionth degree...gag me.<br>"Language, Miss McMillan, is so unbecoming of you...though I must say it goes right along with your choice of attire. What is that you're wearing?" I look down at myself, then back up at the spectacled boy in front of me.  
>"They're called sweatpants. Ever heard of them? They're from my high school basketball team when I played basketball last year."<br>"...You're wearing all black. And I was specifically asking about your shirt." I cock an eyebrow.  
>"What, don't you like Marilyn Manson?" He looks lost, and I'm sure it's because he doesn't have any idea what I'm talking about. Good, makes things easier for me.<br>"Anyway, what the hell is all of this? I don't remember there being screaming, swooning, fainting girls when I came in here yesterday. This is not what I signed up for." I said. He smirked at me, and the look was downright evil.

Stupid male bastard. I don't care if his parents are married or not, he's a bastard.

"I'm sorry, Miss McMillan, but it seems you left too early before I had a chance to explain what afternoons are like here in music room number three. Welcome to the Ouran High School Host Club." I facepalm. A host club, really? I thought that was a manga-only type of thing.

Guess I was wrong. Damn.

"I didn't think those things actually existed. Guess I was wrong...I'll be going, then. I'm not sticking around to deal with this. It's taking everything I have not to puke all over your designer shoes." I spat, turning around.  
>"You don't want to disappoint Tamaki, do you? After all, he's been looking forward to your visit. I'm sure we could find you a place away from our business. Say, in that corner over there, by the window?" Wary, I find it funny that he's trying to get me to stay. I suppose that it's because he's close with Tamaki, but whatever. I don't know if this is a good idea for me. I certainly want to puke right now.<br>"...I suppose I'll give it a try. But if it doesn't work, I'm leaving." I say curtly, passing him and migrating to the corner. I set down my stuff, move the instruments—a harpsichord, a piano, the works—and some furniture. Rolling up the sleeves of my hoodie, I set up my easel next to the window. I then slip off said hoodie, knowing full well that I'll get too hot painting in the sunlight. I open my art case, pull out a canvas that I've covered with a microfiber cloth, and set it on the stand of the easel. I pull out one of clean paint palettes, my brush kit, and then the paints. I sit up the cloth underneath the easel in case of splatter. I readjust the large clip in my hair so that it keeps all of my hair out of my face and set about to painting the second draft I finished in studio today.

I don't even get ten minutes in when the spectacled guy—Kyoya, I think he said—walks up to me.

"Would you like a chair? I'm sure we could find one for you that doesn't matter if you get it covered in paint." I simply glance his way, pausing for a moment in the middle of a brush stroke, then look away and continue.  
>"That's not necessary. I have to stand when painting anyway. Thanks though." I say. He nods, but continues to watch as I paint. At first I don't mind, but it bugs me as to why he's standing there. I'm curious and I want to know what it is that he finds so interesting about me painting.<p>

"Is there any particular reason you're watching me?" I ask him apathetically. He shakes his head, which I see from my peripheral. Blurry as it is, since I'm wearing my glasses today, it's discernible enough.  
>"Does it bother you?" I shake my head.<br>"No, I don't mind in the least. I was just curious. You don't seem like the type of person who's interested in much besides himself, no offense intended." I say. He chuckles, which causes me to look at him.  
>"Your observation isn't far off from being correct. However, the benefit is for the club, not for me." I shrug.<br>"Regardless, you're still in it for yourself. It's something I can read. Always been able to." I say, not wanting to go into my life story at this point with an almost complete stranger.

It's silent for a few moments, and then he turns to go. Something in me wants him to stay. He seems interesting to talk to.

"You don't have to leave. I actually prefer it if people talk to me when I work." I say, not looking away from the canvas and palette.  
>"Are you saying you want me to stay?" He asks coyly. I smirk in return, stopping a moment and closing my eyes. I can't suppress the laugh that comes to my throat.<br>"No, I'm not say that. I'm simply saying you don't have to leave if you don't want to. It won't bother me if you want to talk to me or watch me." He smirks, which I see from my peripheral, and walks away.

So much for that.

I go back to my work, and then glance around the room. I see him sitting on a couch a distance away. He's leaving me alone. I don't really care either way, but it would have been a little nice if he'd stayed. I guess I just wanted some company.

Again, so much for that.

I continue to work and manage to ignore the girls in the room, who I'm sure are looking at me really strange right now. Regardless, I lose myself in the work because it's what I love to do. Whether someone bothers me or not doesn't matter. I'm not too sociable anyway, so being around people doesn't affect me.

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><p>Before I know it, the host club has finished with it's day, and I've managed to successfully get the base of my painting done. I have a feeling I look like a mural myself, seeing as the rest of these guys are looking at me like an alien from Mars. Oh, I mean Venus. I'm female, after all.<p>

"...You look like you got attacked by an evil paintbrush." Said one of the two twins in front of me. They had blazing red hair and looked to be very young. They were shorter than me, which wasn't saying much, considering that I'm a gargantuan beast compared to the rest of this petite race of people. I have finished cleaning up my surroundings, the only thing left is to go home and clean myself up and take my drying painting to the art room before leaving. However, I'm nearly glomped by Tamaki as he comes up to me.  
>"Dear princess, it's so good to see you are here! But, if I may be so bold...when did painting yourself become a fad? If it is a fad, I would be delighted to participate." I smirk at him.<br>"Nah, it's not a fad. My paintbrush is just possessed and likes to attack me every now and again. It likes to take a break from painting murals and try it's hand at people." I say, my face smirking and clearly sarcastic. I see the smirk in Kyoya's face, however faint it is in that cold look that it seems he's always normally wearing.  
>"Oh...is that even possible?"<p>

This kid is a basket case, I swear.

"I'm kidding, Tamaki. Sarcasm, ever heard of it? And this always happens when I paint. That's why I wore clothes I don't care about dirtying. Anyways, I didn't know that subjecting myself to a bunch of squealing, giggling, swooning girls was in our deal. I thought you practiced after class, not fraternized with the entire female population of this school." I hear snickering and look at the twins behind Tamaki. Suddenly, a tall man carrying a cute young boy came into my view, as well as a girl with short brown hair dressed in the male uniform of the school.  
>"Why are you dressed like a boy? It's clear that you're girl...what are you doing here entertaining girls? Isn't that some form of...lesbianism?" I asked before thinking. The redheads start to die laughing, but I was serious. What is a girl doing in an all male host club entertaining other girls. I don't care if she's a lesbian, I'm just curious.<br>"Oh, well...you see, there was this incident...now I owe a debt to the host club. So, dressed as a boy, I work for the host club." I cross my arms, heaving up my art kit and gentle easing the still wet painting into my hands.  
>"Can I ask what kind of incident this was?" She cleared her throat and stepped forward. She was a short little thing. But that's normal for girls in this country. Still, she made me feel like a giant.<br>"I broke a vase worth eight million yen." I know that's a lot of money...it takes me a minute to work out the equivalent in my head. It's about one hundred and two thousand US dollars. More than the paltry amount of money my father earns in a year to feed five people and keep us in a house.

Damn, that sucks. I feel for her big time.

"I'm sorry. That's a lot of money...I'm not very well of either, so I understand. So you pay off your debt by pretending to be a boy and entertaining girls here? I feel even more sorry for you." I say. She smiles.  
>"It's not all bad. Despite the annoyance, the girls are easy enough to please. If you don't mind, what's your name?" She asks, which makes me smile. She's rather nice, which I like, but she seems to be down to earth too. And she's obviously not rich. I'm sure any of these guys could drop one hundred thousand or so dollars and not really care or notice it. The fact that she's working here means she's about as poor as I am.<br>"I'm Maria. Maria McMillan. I'm from America, here on a scholarship. What about you?" I ask her. She smiles.  
>"I'm Haruhi Fujioka. I'm also here on a scholarship. What year are you?" She asks. I smile.<br>"Second year, class A. You?"  
>"First year, class A." I laugh.<br>"So we're a couple of nerds." I say. She laughs.  
>"Yeah, I suppose so. It's nice to meet you, McMillan-sempai." I shake my head and smirk a little at this.<br>"Don't call me sempai. Call me Maria. And that goes for all of you. My last name and honorifics sound horrible and just downright weird. Use my first name." I say to them all. They all jump at the opportunity to talk to me, and I feel bombarded.  
>"Let me introduce you formally to the host club, Maria. This is Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin. They're twins, first years, and in Haruhi's class." I look at them both as the blond idiot speaks.<p>

"You two are troublemakers. I can just see it." They both snicker at this observation, confirming my suspicions.  
>"These two are Mori-sempai and Honey-sempai. They're our seniors, third years, and they're cousins." I bow to them, addressing them as my sempais. They nod back, Honey-sempai smiling down at me from Mori-sempai's shoulders.<br>"It's nice to meet you, Mari-chan! Can I call you that? Mari-chan?" I smile at him. He's really cute, so I'm hardly going to resist his want to adopt a nickname for me.  
>"Sure, I guess so. But only you, Honey-sempai." I say as he beams even brighter, if that was possible.<br>"And of course, you know Kyoya and I. We met yesterday." I nod.  
>"Well, this has been fun and all, but I have to get this back to the art room and lock it in there so it can dry overnight. So I guess...I'll see you guys around." I say, making my way to the door. As I reach for the door, someone's hand beats me to it. I look up and see Tamaki.<br>"Let me get that for you, princess. I'll escort you to the art room, if you'd like." I shake my head.  
>"I don't need it. I'm perfectly capable of navigating the school on my own." I said, pushing past him and walking down the hallway. I'm sure the others are looking at me like I'm an alien, but I don't care. I have an agenda.<p>

I can almost feel DNAngel calling to me again today as I walk into art room four. I set up my easel and put the painting on it. I set it within the vicinity of the vent so it will dry faster, then shut the door and lock it. I stuff the large ring of keys into my art kit and turn toward the end of the hallway. I see Kyoya walking toward me, and I cock an eyebrow.

"Did he follow me? Creep." I mutter to myself, since he's rather far away. It's not really for him to hear, but it seems he did.  
>"What was that you called me?" I smirk and turn away from him.<br>"Oh, nothing. Just muttering something to myself, no big deal. I'm a secret basket-case, after all." I say, making my way down the hallway with him at my back. Soon, his longer strides catch up with me. He then falls into step with me, which is really weird. What the hell is this guy's problem? Can't he make up his mind whether he can actually stand me or not? It's like he can't stand me but at the same time won't leave me alone.

Jeez, what a creepazoid.

"Is there any particular reason you decided to follow me?" I ask him sarcastically. How do I know if he's even following me? I don't, but I can still confront him with it.  
>"What kind of man would follow you?" I turn my head to the side to see him smirking and look at him over my glasses.<br>"Are you teasing me or insulting me?" I ask. He chuckles evilly, and I can't help thinking that his evil chuckle is hilarious. It takes everything I have not to burst out laughing because it's so cliché.  
>"That depends on how you want to take it. Which do you think it is?" I shrug.<br>"A little bit of both, probably." I say as we descend the steps to the front of the school. There is a limo parked out front, and I eye it warily. When I see him start to walk toward it, I lift an eyebrow.

"That's yours? Are you frickin' serious? You come to school in a freakin' limo? Damn you rich people..." I say as I continue to grumble out some more insults. I walk past the school gates and start down the road when said rich person limo thing pulls up next to me. I walk a little faster, which in turn makes the car drive a little faster. The back window rolls down and I see Kyoya's face.

"You really are a creep! Why the hell are you following me, you weirdo?" I ask him, and he simply smirks at my insults. Smug bastard, I think to myself.  
>"I was going to offer you a ride. It seems you're not too keen on the idea, based on your hostility toward me." I huff and continue walking.<br>"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't take favors from rich people. They always want something in return. I'll catch you later." I say, turning the corner and walking inside the gate of my apartment complex.

God, rich people piss me off. I have to admit though...if I lived far away I would have been hard pressed to say yes. I'd have said no anyway, but I would have wanted to say yes. I live too close to get a stupid ride, especially from some smug, suave rich prick with a stick stuck so far up his ass that he's growing branches out of his earholes.

I don't care if I sound like I have a complex, he just pissed me off really bad. Whether he meant well or not, I was truthful. I don't take favors from rich people. They always want something from you in return. Nothing is free, so why take something when you know you're going to have to pay it back, monetarily or otherwise?

It's not right, and it's never going to happen. Over my dead body, as the saying goes.

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><p>Driving away, Kyoya honestly felt a little peeved at the way this girl was acting. She was completely irrational, downright rude in fact, and she could have just as easily said she lived right around the corner and declined his invitation. But no, she had to take offense at his offer.<p>

_I don't take favors from rich people. They always want something in return._

In a way, she was right. But this was simply a ride home. He was being courteous. In all honesty, he did want to be on her good side. She was in the same class as he was, and yesterday was the first day he'd ever met her. He wanted to know just a little bit more, as he did with everyone he met. If she was a commoner and in the top class, she had to be interesting and intellectual. Not every American got the chance to attend Ouran, especially a lower middle-class girl like Maria. Just what made her so special? And where did that attitude come from?

It would take some time, he realized, to figure out what it was that made this girl so apathetic and dedicated at the same time. She wasn't one-dimensional; she had layers, many of them, and he wanted to figure at least one of them out. Any one of them and he would be happy. There had to be some remnant of a decent person in there. American or not, she wasn't completely rude and irresponsible. She just kept her distance. He wanted to know why.

This was a puzzle he would very much enjoy solving.

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><p><strong>Yay! Over and done with chapter two! <strong>

**I'll try to keep regular updates. They'll depend on the amount of writing I actually get done, of course, but I don't see it stopping anytime soon. Well, at least, not until Christmas in anime. Then I'll have to switch to the manga and read and get caught up, hehe.**

**What I said above still applies, so please push that little button down there and tell me what you think about Maria, the story, and the characterization. **

**All my love,**

**B-chan :3**


	3. Just A Hint of Madness  Maria Style

**Alright, so here's the next chapter! I'm going to dedicate this chapter to three more people who added my story to their watch list. Thanks so much to Artemis' hunters, radioactivepenguin13, and FireFlies Twinkle for adding this to your watch list! I'm glad you're interested enough to want to read more, so I hope I don't disappoint you!**

**I'm not going to go on and say 'I won't update until I have X number of reviews' because that's SO annoying. However, I will say if you like what you see, let me know if there's something you'd like more of or if there's something I need to work on. A little comment or criticism doesn't hurt! I can't improve this for you without feedback. But you certainly don't have to.**

**So I had a blast writing this. Getting Maria to admit her feelings is hard, but Kyoya's good at it. You'll see what I mean when you read this chapter and the next few as well. They get close fast, that's all I have to say about it. I hope you enjoy it! :3**

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><p>The next morning, I walk into class wearing another set of sweatpants—purple and gold with the LSU logo on it—and an all black T-shirt. My signature pair of walking tennis shoes, adorned with many splattering colors of paint and mud, are on my feet. My hair is pulled up into a hair clip, nothing unusual. I sit down and pull out my books, opening them and reading them over because of the quiz in Trig. Honestly, I never thought math homework here would be so much different.<p>

It makes what I did in high school in America look like a cakewalk, if that puts it in perspective.

"Well, if it isn't our darling princess! I didn't know you were in our class, Mari-chan!" I glare up at the blond idiot standing next to my desk.  
>"If I remember correctly, the only one I gave permission to use that nickname was Honey-sempai. I didn't say it was okay for you to use it. And I did mention which class I was in yesterday." I grind out through my teeth, he's a little wary, but other than that, plows forward unabashed.<br>"Oh, come now, Mari-chan! It's such a cute name, and for such a beautiful girl, I—"  
>"Tamaki, I think she's made it quite clear she doesn't approve the nickname. I suggest not angering her any further, hm?" I then glare even more at the tall boy on the other side of the desk next to me. This guy pissed me off last night—though in reality, it was all in my head—and I'm not in the mood to socialize with him. For some reason, something about him makes me want to just punch him, and though I overreacted last night, it's the perfect catalyst for my convenient dislike.<p>

Yes, I am a bitch, and for the record, I don't care if I am. He pissed me off. Enough said.

"It seems you are still sour. Not enough sleep, McMillan?" He asked me, his deep gray-purple eyes staring me down with a small smirk on his face. I turn away from him and instead ignore him. I don't want to look at him, I don't want to listen to him, I just want him to go away.

As to when I'll forgive him, probably soon, but for now, I don't want to. Irrational as that is, I don't care. I don't feel like bending my pride that much yet. I know humility, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't mean I like it either.

Suddenly, the tinkling sound of the intercom came up, and I turned to the speaker across the room from me.

"Miss Maria McMillan, please report to the front of the art hallway. Please bring your belongings with you." I smirk, standing.  
>"Seems I'm getting kicked out after all. Yay me. Oh, Tamaki? I might not be in the host club for a couple of weeks. I've got a huge project ahead of me and I have to get it done. So don't expect me at the club or anything. Just thought I should warn you ahead of time." I said, gathering my things to leave. Tamaki gave me a little pouting face, then moved closely to me, taking my hand.<br>"Then, my dear princess, I look forward to the future days where my eyes may once again cleanse themselves at the sight of your beauty. Au revoir, my darling." He said, and placed a kiss on my knuckles. I rolled my eyes and walked away.  
>"Whatever. See you later." I said, and though I was aloof, I must say that I do enjoy the attention from Tamaki.<p>

Don't get me wrong, I am not attracted to the idiot. But no one's paid that kind of attention to me in quite some time and meant nothing by it. He's just teasing and flirting kindly. Different from what I'm used to. And I kind of like it, as much as I pretend not to care.

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><p>"That girl's not here today, Kaoru. I wonder where she went...showing up one day and then suddenly not."<br>"I don't know, Hikaru, but I kind of liked her. I hope she's not gone for good. She'd be so much fun to mess with."

The twins sighed as they got ready for the afternoon's activities. Honey-sempai was sitting in a chair eating some cake with Mori-sempai by his side.

"Takashi, do you think Mari-chan is going to be here today? I wanted to invite her to eat cake with me today..." The taller, more stoic man shook his head.  
>"She's painting the art hall, Mitsukuni." He said simply. The young-looking host merely pouted.<br>"Oh...so she won't be here for a long time then. That's sad...I wanted to share some of my lemon cake with her...she'll be back later, won't she Takashi?"  
>"Yeah."<p>

Going about their business, Honey and Mori-sempai both got ready to receive their first guests. Haruhi was finishing with some commoner's coffee—as Tamaki had now dubbed it—when she noticed the absence of the American girl.

"I wonder where she is..." She thought aloud, having grown fond of the girl. As abrasive and off-putting as she could be, Haruhi knew that what lay beneath the tough layers around Maria was something very beautiful. She couldn't wait to talk with the older girl some more and get to know her better. Watching the shell fall apart here in the host club would certainly be a treat, because if there was anyone who could do such a feat, it was these idiots in the host club.  
>"She's in charge of the redecorating and renovation of the art entrance hall, Haruhi. She's painting murals on the walls of some of the landscapes on the school grounds. It seems the president was so impressed with her work that he personally requested she be the one to paint and design it. She's even getting a large reduction in her tuition costs for it. A contribution bonus, if you will." Haruhi smiled.<br>"That's not why she's doing it, though. She loves to paint. You obviously didn't watch her close enough when she was painting, Kyoya-sempai. You didn't see the love in every stroke of her brush. It was breathtaking to watch...I wonder what it's like to love something so much that one simple little thing makes you happier than anything else." Kyoya, intrigued by Haruhi's answer, went about his business and joined his 'King'.

"Are you sure our princess is alright, Kyoya? I'm worried about her." Kyoya chuckled at his best friend.  
>"Don't be, Tamaki. She's just painting the art hall. She's not skydiving."<br>"But they have her hooked up in that harness thing...and they left her all alone...I'm scared! What if she gets hurt and breaks her arm and can never paint again? What if she falls and breaks her neck and is a vegetable for the rest of her life? What if she—"  
>"Tamaki, your fears are irrational. As abrasive and uncouth as she is, Maria is capable of taking care of herself. She's very intelligent—she's in our class after all. Quite the opposite of her demeanor and personality, certainly. She'll be fine. She knows how to operate the lift, and there are staff constantly going to and from the hall to check on her." This consolation did little to make Tamaki feel better. Nevertheless, he had guests to attend to while Kyoya did some product promotion and number crunching.<p>

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><p>"I hate wall paint...shit doesn't like to do what I want it to...damn stupid textured sheet-rock...I hate you all..." I grumble under my breath as I continue my mural. It's been three days since I started this stupid project and I'm only half done. If it weren't for the fact these walls are terrible and hard to work with, I wouldn't mind. It's a prestigious school—can't it be made with some kind of magically wonderful material that loves to be painted?<p>

I pull on one of the ropes that operates the harness that brings me up twenty feet in the air. I drop slowly to the ground and unhook myself, crawling from the harness. I take a small break—I'm hardly done for the day—and then go back up into the air and continue my work. I get lost in it and don't even notice that the sun goes down until I hear someone clear their throat behind me and I glance outside. I look down at the ground, and seeing who it is, glare and turn back to my work.

"McMillan, don't you think you've been up there long enough? It's past seven...you should be heading home." I ignore him. I have to ignore him. Otherwise I'll apologize and look all stupid and humiliated and embarrassed.  
>"...You can go on pretending that you're ignoring me, but your anger at me is irrational. I may not know you very well, but I know well enough that you also know the irrationality of your own feelings." He continues, and I sigh as I finish yet another freaking flower bush.<p>

I swear, I've painted enough of them to last a lifetime.

I drop down, crawl out of the harness, then stand and pop my back. I have to use the already dry wall to sturdy myself so that I don't fall down. I'm covered from head to toe in paint—no surprise there—and hungry and tired. I want to go home, take a long hot shower, eat some hot food, and go to bed. I'm beat and my arms hurt. But I'm two thirds of the way done. For that much to be accomplished by the end of the fourth day is amazing to me. Tomorrow is Friday, and I have a feeling I'll be working through the weekend since the president wants it done by Monday. He says that an open house is on Monday and he wants it ready for the masses to see.

I'm not looking forward to the overtime.

"If I may be so blunt, McMillan, you don't look like you've seen a good day in a while."  
>"You try living away from home for the first time in your life, in some far away foreign country, with weird and nasty rich bastards all around you, and having to have it rubbed in your face every day that you're less than everyone else because your mama and papa don't have dinero spilling out of their earholes." I say spitefully, my exhaustion and frustration coming out in all of the wrong ways. I don't care, I'm tired, hungry, pissed off and overworked.<br>"If you hate it so much here, why did you come in the first place?" I know it's a legitimate question, and I don't blame him for asking me about it. I just don't like the answer...it tastes a little bad even if it's true.  
>"...I hate it even more at home. Anywhere is better than there." I mutter softly, grimacing as the words leave my mouth.<p>

He doesn't speak, for which I'm glad, as I clean up what little there is for me to clean. The janitors did most of it, but I have a little trash here and there as well as my things to take home. As I turn toward the door, I see him standing there, his face passive.

"So tell me, why are you here so late?" He shrugs as I start out of the door.  
>"It's simple. I do the inventory on a regular basis—every Monday and Thursday—and it took me a little longer today than normal. I was surprised to see you still working so late." I sigh heavily as my feet drag along next to His Royal Highness.<p>

Note the sarcasm.

"I have to have it done by Monday for the open house that day. It's a day to promote the school and they want to start promoting art more now that I'm here. So they decided to hire me to paint the room, and in turn my costs for tuition will be reduced without my awards being reduced. I'll have some extra money to send to my family." I say, though I don't honestly know why. I'm sure he was already well aware of what I was doing. He seems like the type who always knows.  
>"So is that where you send your extra money? To your family?" I nod, starting toward the gate. Next thing I know, there's a hand on my shoulder. I stop and turn to face him, nudging his hand off of my shoulder.<p>

"What?" I snap. He sighs.  
>"Are you going to continue to stay mad at me? If you don't want to answer my questions, you simply have to say so." I sigh, shaking my head.<br>"It's not that, I'm just wondering why you're so freakin' interested in me. I ain't nothin' special, get it? I mean, come on dude, get real! I'm from America, in no particular place—I have no friends, no life, and I waste my time on Japanese media, the arts, and schoolwork. What more do you want to know? I'm not that interesting and I don't intend to change anytime soon." He shakes his head.  
>"That's not true, considering how you want to keep others at a distance. You don't seem particularly fond of anyone, though you lean more toward those who aren't rich. Do you really hate the wealthy that much? This place isn't where you belong if that's the case. You'll be ostracized before too long." I shrug my shoulders.<br>"I am already, so what does it matter? I can't afford a uniform—not that I want to wear that God-awful thing anyway—and I'm an artist. I'm eccentric. I have a horrible sense of humor and I'm abrasively sarcastic. No one's ever wanted to be around me, so why does that have to change? I'm perfectly fine all by myself." And with that, I start to walk away. But then he says something that stops me in my shoes.

"It sounds to me like you don't want it to be that way...that you want to change it. So why don't you?"

"...Because no matter how much I talk to you, Kyoya, you'd never understand. You've never been there...half the things I tell you wouldn't make sense to someone who's never known what it's like to never have a life of privilege, to live day to day, paycheck to paycheck, wondering if you'll be able to eat that week. So it doesn't matter if I want to or not...it's that there is nothing for me here. My art will get better, my academics will improve, and I'll move onto a better life because I don't want to be stuck at home anymore." I say, trying not to cry. Why am I getting emotional over this? I've never felt this way before...and why the hell am I telling this jerk-off about it?  
>"If someone wanted to give you a chance, would you take it?" I turn around, looking at him with one eyebrow cocked.<br>"What the hell does that mean?" I ask him.  
>"Tamaki is clearly giving you an opening to come and join us, even if you aren't a club member. He wants to include you...something about you has sparked his interest. And as his best friend and vice president of the host club, I can't simply let you walk away. He's giving you the chance to have a better life, with more people in your life and more opportunities for something other than a life of solitude. Will you take it or will you turn your back?"<p>

This surprises me. Tamaki wants me there?

"What about you? From the moment we met, we haven't exactly been friendly."  
>"That can change over time, I'm sure. Once you've been cultivated, I'm confident that your attitude will change proportionally to the amount of growth you manage to obtain. I might actually even consider you as a friend if that ever happens." I smirk at this. He's teasing, I'm sure, but it's still amusing to me.<br>"And what about everyone else in the club?"  
>"They've been waiting for you to come back. Your first impressions leave a heavy mark on many people. They miss you even if you've only been there a day. I think you'll find their welcome very warm indeed." I start to laugh at this. Then, it breaks out into a full blown cackle. I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe.<p>

"You're really trying, aren't you? It shows. It's so funny! Holy shit, I can't breathe..." I say, clutching my sides. I stand up straight and wipe the tears from my eyes. I look back at him, and there's a smirk on his face.  
>"Are you done?" I smile at him, beaming from ear to ear. I suddenly feel a lot better...probably from the simple fact that he doesn't really hate me after all, I was simply being irrational in the beginning.<p>

Maybe accepting rich people into my life won't be so bad after all.

"...Kyoya?" His gaze doesn't shift from me, so I continue after a beat of pause.  
>"Thanks. I needed that...I've needed it since I got here, actually. So thanks...for everything. Tell everyone I'll be back on Monday." He nods, and I turn to go again.<br>"So, do you want a ride home or not? You may be resilient, but you aren't invincible." I turn and smirk at him.  
>"I thought I told you I don't take favors from rich people." He returns my smirk with a sly one of his own that looks just so evil, pushing up his glasses.<br>"This isn't a favor from a 'rich person', but from a classmate...and a friend." He says, and for a moment my heart skips a beat.

Friend...it's a world I haven't heard in quite some time. It has a good ring to it. I really like it.

"I may get your designer leather seats covered in paint. Still want to give me a ride?" He extends his hand.  
>"If you're going to cover them in paint, then I assure you that I don't mind giving you a lift. After all, what better way to aggravate my father?" I laugh and walk forward, ignoring the hand. I don't believe for a moment that he's actually serious about taking my hand and helping me into the car. As I get in, however, I manage to hit my head on the frame of the door.<br>"Ow ow ow ow ow! That really hurt...dammit..." I hold my head as he slides in next to me, trying to blink back tears of pain. He chuckles and I glare at him, pouting.

It really hurt. Damn my clumsiness and my pride.

"You should have taken my hand." I hold them out for him to see. I see even in the dim light of the car that they're covered in paint, all sorts of colors and layers of it.  
>"I don't think you want to even look at these messy hands, much less hold them. They're pretty dirty and nasty. Wouldn't want to ruin your nice uniform or anything." I say, and he shakes his head. He takes one of my hands, raises it to his lips, and kisses it.<br>"I can assure you, Maria, that a bit of paint isn't going to phase me in the least. I may be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, but above that I am a gentleman. Sometimes accepting the fact that you are a woman and deserve special treatment isn't such a horrible thing. It would certainly suit you much better to accept the shower of compliments Tamaki spurs your way." I scoff and pull my hand away, hoping he doesn't notice my blush.  
>"I've never been treated that way before. My mother raised me to be self-sufficient so that I wouldn't have to rely on a man for anything. I'm middle class...if you don't already know, we don't exactly have all of these manners. If there's anything that's an indication of that, look at me. I have no grace, no feminine qualities, and I certainly don't squeal and giggle. So asking me to take a compliment is like trying to tell a dog to meow. It isn't happening." He shakes his head at me.<p>

"One of these days you'll learn. We have a long road ahead of us, don't we Maria?" I cock an eyebrow.  
>"What road is this? I don't remember saying anything about a road." I say, crossing my arms. He chuckles.<br>"It's a metaphorical road. One that will change you from the middle class to the upper crust when it comes to your manners so that no one knows the difference. You want to fit in, right?" I shrug.  
>"I'd like friends, but that's the extent of it I think."<br>"Regardless, you want to fit in with the rest of us. If you plan to stay here through your college years, the things the host club can teach you will carry with you a very long time. After all, what man would ever want to marry such an uncouth and brash woman such as yourself?" I smirk.

"Like I need a man." He chuckles at this comment.  
>"You'll want one eventually. Your lack of charm and grace isn't going to get you anywhere. With the right training, you could marry any wealthy man regardless of his money or status. Impress his parents and you've got a proposal in your lap. I don't see that happening as you are now." I sweatdrop as he pushes up his glasses.<br>"You honestly think me so low as to marry a man for his money? I may not be a girl, but if I'm going to marry anyone, it'll be because I love him, not because he's rich." I say. He doesn't say anymore after that, which is odd, but the short ride home is silent from then on.

Surprisingly, I feel much better after tonight. As much as I hate some things and love others, I think I can go to bed tonight and feel like I can wake up tomorrow with a smile.

Maybe being around a bunch of rich, snobby, upper-crust, blue-blooded bastards and bitches isn't such a bad thing after all.

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><p><strong>Aww, isn't that shweet? A bit of foreshadowing there, haha. That last line is going to come up again much, much, MUCH later in the story. So...yeah. Just to keep things interesting I'll give you that spoiler, hehe.<strong>

**So I hope you enjoyed, and I can only improve if you tell me what you think. Otherwise, favorites and alerts make me just as happy, so I look forward to what you guys think :3**

**Later days!**

**~B-chan**


	4. A Day In the Life of Maria Ouran Style

**Okay, so first I'm glad and honored to present this chapter to you guys! I dedicate this one to my first reviewer, AikoRose, because I loved what she had to say and it made me fell very positive, enough to want to update yet again before the weekend is over! You make me happy, Aiko :3**

**Alright, so there's one thing I want to clarify about the last chapter. At the end I said that the last line would be a spoiler, but I wasn't specific enough. I meant to say the last line of dialogue, the last line Maria says before I go into a little ending shpeal. So yes, in case you don't remember, just go back and read the last line of dialogue and keep it in the back of your mind. **

**So without further ado, onto the fourth chapter of With All My Art and Soul!**

**P.S. : The Chairman and the President are the same person, i.e. Tamaki's papa. Just to clarify :D  
><strong>

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><p>"Everyone, welcome to Ouran Academy!" I stand to the side, watching as all of these rich and mighty people walk in. No one I recognize at first glance—though honestly, I didn't expect to—and I'm waiting to hear what some of them say about the murals on the walls. Today of all days, since the arts are being promoted, I have dressed semi-casual instead of like a full blown bum. I have a long, undamaged pair of jeans on, semi-high heels, and a red blouse with a blazer over it. I'm not wearing the school's uniform and I haven't since I got here. Sue me.<p>

"My oh my, Chairman...who did these wonderful pictures?" I cringe as the high-pitched voice of a young noblewoman fills my ears. They aren't pictures...they are murals. Get it right, you uppity bitch.  
>"These murals happen to be our newest project! One of our very own students actually painted this for us. She's quite talented, as you can see, and here on a full arts and academics scholarship. It truly is magnificent."<br>"What are these murals of?" The chairman beams, and my heart is swelling. He's promoting them as they are meant to be. I'm glad he sees them for what I wanted them to be seen.  
>"These murals are that of our various gardens and scenery around campus as an inspiration to those who would think their artistic abilities would be inhibited at such a high end school." And he continues to talk, but I've heard what I wanted to. I turn and leave, heading to the art rooms to be present when the full house group comes our way, so they can talk to me if they want to.<p>

I walk into the first art studio instead of the fourth, and I see various other artists there. I don't know any of them, seeing as I try my best to stay away from them. And because I'm from America, I don't have to take English classes, so my studio time is different from theirs. I don't ever see them because of this. I stand and wait for the group to make it's way into the room, my teachers standing next to me rather than the other students. I see their jealous and hateful eyes, but ignore them. I don't care what they have to say or what they feel, right now I am simply waiting for this damned open house to be over so I can get to the host club.

It still shocks me to think that Kyoya was the one that managed to convince me to come back...I honestly thought about never going back thanks to him. I don't trust others easily...or rather, I've never tried to. I wear my heart on my sleeve if someone needs me, but these rich people don't need me in the least. So I don't bother to try to trust them or give them anything. Yet, Kyoya brought up a good point. I may say that I don't care, but sometimes that's not true...I honestly did want to be friends with Kyoya and the others. I want them in my life...that was something I wanted to change about myself when I got here. I wanted to have friends, a life, people to trust and love. I wanted to fall in love again with the right people around me. I've let too many people close who have taken advantage of me and treated me like crap, and it made me bitter. I came to Japan to escape the rude, cruel people in America. These people have better manners by nature, and they're raised better in my opinion. Though the rich do leave something to be desired, I'm learning that not everyone here is so bad.

Still, like those next to me, they do have some who are assholes.

I'm hot by this point, so I slip off my blazer and set it on a chair across the room, where my purse and art case lay. I then go back to standing with the rest of my class, just in time for the group to walk in. The tour around, ask some questions, before the last and most anticipated question comes.

"Which one of you painted the mural in the entrance hall?" A young nobleman's voice. I don't see who asked the question, but the president walks over to me and stands by my side. He puts a hand on my lower back and guides me toward the group.  
>"This is Maria McMillan. She's a second year art student here at Ouran, and she was the one we commissioned to paint the murals in the front entrance." I bow as I should, knowing the Japanese customs to some degree. Watching anime and reading manga has helped some, after all.<br>"Are you American?" Comes the rather rude question, and as much as I'd like to answer sarcastically with -

"No, I'm an alien from Mars—I mean, Venus, because I'm a girl."

- But I manage to resist the urge with the best professional smile I can conjure up at this moment.

"Yes, I am." I say firmly. I wait to hear from someone else.  
>"What part? Los Angeles? Manhattan? Maybe Chicago?" I shake my head.<br>"Las Vegas, actually." There some scattered murmuring, then another question.  
>"What businesses does your family own?"<p>

I'm stunned by this. Does my attending this school always have to be based on how much money my family has?

"My family doesn't own any businesses." I say simply.  
>"Oh...what kind of work does your father do, then?"<br>"He's a maintenance manager and refrigeration supervisor." I say.  
>"What in the world does that mean?" I sigh to myself, glancing at the chairman to show that I'm uncomfortable. He clears his throat and steps in for me. For that, I'm grateful.<br>"McMillan-san is here on an academic and artistic scholarship. She attends here based on her own merit, not her family's." There's some more murmurs, and the sound of 'commoner' floats to my ears. I clench my fists a little, trying to keep calm. I hate that word.  
>"So you're saying she's a commoner? I didn't know they allowed them in this school."<br>"Our school strives for diversity and guarantees those who are qualified will receive enough awards to attend our school and bear the expenses as little as possible."  
>"So if she wasn't so smart and talented she wouldn't be here? Well, that's a first."<br>"Yes, well, McMillan-san is an exceptionally gifted student of ours. We're very proud to have her here."  
>"What class are you in? Class 3-C?" I heard, and this time, I was the one who answered.<br>"No, I'm in class 2-A, actually." I said matter-of-factly. I can feel my patience wearing extremely thin.

The comments keep coming throughout the afternoon, and by the end I want to shoot myself. As everyone starts filing out, a young woman comes up to me. I look down at her and smile as best as I can. Oddly, she reminds me vaguely of someone, but I honestly can't remember who off the top of my head. Something about those eyes...where have I seen them before?

"Can I help you?" I ask her. She beams at me.  
>"I was just wondering if you minded doing me a favor?" I shrug.<br>"I don't mind." She beams brighter, if that's possible.  
>"Do you do portraits?" She asks, and I have to think. How long has it been since I've done a portrait?<br>"Well, I will admit that I haven't done one in a while. I've been doing landscapes so long..."  
>"Oh, that's alright! I just wanted to know if you'd paint a portrait of someone for me. You see, my brother is always busy and I'm married, so I'm not home much. If I give you some photos, do you think you could do a portrait of him?" I shrug.<br>"Sure. I'll give it a try. If it's not great, then you don't have to take it. I can't guarantee it's going to be great." She shakes her head.  
>"It's alright, I'll pay you whatever it's worth. I just want him close to me in my home even when I'm so far away. Is that alright?" I smile and nod. That's super sweet...the doting sister. That's so cute.<br>"Sure. I look forward to it. Do you have the photos with you?" She nods hurriedly and pulls her bag to her front to dig through it.  
>"I wanted to try and get him captured unaware, since it's so weird when our family poses for pictures. He goes here, so if you can possibly get him to agree to a sit down, or get a snapshot of him, something. I don't care, I just don't want him to be staring at me." I cock an eyebrow. She's quirky for a noblewoman, and I kind of like her, actually.<br>"Here they are! I hope it's not too much trouble. I'm Fuyumi, by the way." I take the manila envelope and shake my head.  
>"Not at all, Fuyumi. How should I get hold of you when I finish it?" She laughs.<p>

"Here's my cell number, so just call when it's done. Now, I'd love to chat, but my husband and I have somewhere to be. Thanks so much, Maria, I appreciate it! I look forward to your art on my wall!" She says, taking off before I can say anymore to her. Everyone's left by now, so I put the small manila envelope into my purse and pick up my art case. I rush to the bathroom to change, pulling on blue basketball shorts, a gray tanktop, and an Avenged Sevenfold hoodie. I forgot my other shoes at home, so I'm barefoot for now. My hair goes into it's clip and I decide to leave my makeup the way it is. Some gold eyeshadow and foundation isn't going to bother anyone. My red glasses are enough to hide the shimmer of the eyeshadow, and I'm just too lazy to remove the crap right now anyway.

I walk into the host club and, not surprisingly, there are girls all around. It's the middle of the afternoon, so the flirting is in full swing. I go to the little corner I've been designated, set my things down, and move the instruments and furniture that are in my way. I set a piano bench by the window and set my things on the wide sill of the window. It's enough space for me to sketch comfortably in the sun. I pull out the small manila envelope, set it beside my drawing tools, then slip off my hoodie. Before I can even get started, I see two redheads from my peripheral view.

"Mari-chan, we were wondering..."  
>"...if you would like to play the guessing game?" I cock an eyebrow at them.<br>"Let me guess...you guys want me to guess which one of you is which, don't you?" They beam, meaning I've guessed right. They're so predictable. And extremely annoying, no matter how adorable they seem to be.  
>"Sure do. So, which one of us is Hikaru—"<br>"—and which one of us is Kaoru?" I smirk. This is too easy.  
>"You can think you're identical, and to most you are. But the one on the right is Kaoru, and the one on the left is Hikaru." They laugh to themselves.<br>"You guess wrong!" They chime together, but I shake my head.  
>"You can't fool me. Twins can be distinctly different in many ways. You two act so differently that I can tell exactly who is who." I say, and then the looks on their faces changes.<br>"Kaoru, she guessed right. What ever are you we going to do? That's two people so far who can see us for who we really are."  
>"I don't know, Hikaru...this is so sad." Then, flowers and sparkles form around them, they wrap themselves in each others' embrace, and gaze into each others' eyes.<br>"It doesn't matter, Kaoru, who sees us. After all, no one knows you better than I do." Hikaru says seductively.  
>"Oh, Hikaru, I...I don't know what to say..." Says Kaoru in innocence. I turn away, trying to hide my blush.<p>

Dammit, this is one of those moments where I hate being a Yaoi fangirl. It was just...so cute that I wanted to squeal for the smallest moment. Dammit, dammit, dammit!

"It seems our dear little Mari-chan is a secret fan of ours. That plays to our advantage, right Hikaru?"  
>"You're right, Kaoru. Tell me, Mari-chan, which do you prefer? The slow-moving, shounen-ai story, or the fast-paced Yaoi story? Huh?" I use my left hand to hide my face from them as I go about my own business, but they don't seem to be letting up. Then, I feel arms around my shoulders and elbows digging into my legs. Kaoru has his arms around me while Hikaru is looking up at me with his elbows on my legs, head in his hands.<br>"I know, Mari-chan...it's hard when you want the both of us. After all, it's the secret fantasy of all girls to have more than one love, isn't it?" Hikaru says as he stares at me, trying to seduce me with that face. And dammit, I can feel control slipping the closer they are to me. Why me, dear Lord, why? What did I do to deserve this torture?  
>"Tell us, Mari-chan...what is it you want us to do? We're here for your entertainment alone." A finger under my chin—Hikaru's—tips my face downward as he moves forward.<p>

My heart's beating way too fast. This has got to stop. Yaoi fangirl or not, I am not letting a boy younger than me kiss me. It's not happening.

"Hikaru...Kaoru...enough. I'm not in the mood." Hikaru grins mischievously at this remark of mine. I think I just made things worse.  
>"Not in the mood, Mari-chan? Then why is your heart beating so fast? Your face is so red...don't tell me you're lying to us?" Kaoru whispers in my ear, breathing way too much for his own, perverted purposes.<p>

I'm not lying when I say it's getting harder to come up with shit to say when you've got two cute young boys hanging around you so seductively. Says the one who said raging hormones weren't a problem. God, I'm an idiot.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, I think that's enough. Maria is clearly uncomfortable, and in case you haven't noticed, she's working. You wouldn't want to jeopardize her stay here by keeping her from her work, would you?" For the first time, I'm glad that suave and smooth voice pipes up in the background. He's going to save me, I'm sure of it. They let me go—much to my relief—as they sigh in a rather bored manner.  
>"Oh, Kyoya-sempai, we were just fooling around."<br>"Besides, when does drawing constitute work?" Pushing up his glasses, Kyoya answers for me, even if I'm perfectly capable of doing so on my own. Still, it saves me the trouble of tripping over my own tongue, which is tied at the moment thanks to their antics. Stupid, stupid, stupid! You are stupid, Maria!  
>"Maria is here on an art scholarship. If you keep her from meeting her quota, her grades will drop and she will lose her eligibility. If you like her so much, why don't you two leave her alone when she's working? Whatever you do when she's free is your business. However, if you bother her, she'll have no choice but to go home."<p>

Okay, scratch that, he's officially an ass. Giving them permission when I'm not at work is not helping here, mister almighty King of the Underworld.

The twins prance away, which I'm glad, and I sigh. Kyoya walks over to me and stands at my side.

"I would thank you, but you basically gave them permission to bug the hell out of me when I'm not working. Oh, and for the record, it's not like my quota is hard. I could sleep and hand them my pillow with drool spots and call it art. That's how strict they are with the 'quota'." He chuckles at this.  
>"Yes, but they don't know that, do they?" I shrug, going back to my work. I start to open the envelope when Kyoya's voice penetrates my ears.<br>"How was the open house, by the way? I heard it was today." I shrug.  
>"It was okay. Could have been better. Everyone was so interested in me because I was a 'commoner'. Apparently commoners shouldn't be capable of painting anything decent. I also got commissioned by someone. So it wasn't so bad. Though at the time, I wanted to take a pistol to my forehead and play Russian Roulette every time someone spoke and I had to answer." He's writing in his little book by now, and which pisses me off to the most minute of degrees. So I ignore it.<br>"I saw how it turned out. Fabulous job, by the way. It's very impressive." I shrug, turning back to my work as he walks away.  
>"Thanks." I say, apathetic. It's not the greatest thing I've ever done, but certainly not the worst.<p>

I open the manila envelope and pull out some photos. I gasp softly as I look at who's on the pictures.

"Kyoya...really?" I whisper to myself, and then I glance at him. He's sitting farther away on a couch, typing on his laptop. In these pictures, it's obvious that his smiles are fake, but I take a look anyway. He has two brothers and a sister, a father and a mother—it looks like a good family. But I get the feeling his father is the problem for some reason. He just has this...authoritative and...mean look about him. I liked Fuyumi when I met her. So she wants me to create a portrait of Kyoya? Well, I'll have to do it secretly. It would be super creepy if he found out that I was drawing him.

So, I assemble the pictures, trying to figure out how to draw him. How can I get him to sit still long enough on his own? He does that here in the club, so if I can capture it long enough to get his shape and features, the shading is a no-brainer. However, personally I think it's super wrong to have technology in the painting—I'm traditional that way—so I'll have to wait until he has his notebook. But at least I've got some sort of idea...putting it to paper will be a different matter.

I wait a while and stare around the room, observing my surroundings. It's not half bad here, despite all of the girls. It's rather peaceful in this little corner of mine. I could get used to this...

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, so the end to another chapter. This one ends on a good note. I try to make them end as positive as possible. I know Maria is going to come off as extremely moody here in the beginning, but she's going to mellow out, I promise. She's just not used to people being able to get under her skin or being unable to stop others from getting closer to her. That'll change before too long...once she starts to accept the feelings that are developing within her...teehee.<strong>

**So I hope you liked it and I hope to continue to receive positive feedback, and I suppose some positive criticism would be great too. Just keep reading on and letting me know! I can't deliver any better if you don't tell me what I can do better!**

**All my love,**

**~B-chan**


	5. Haruhi's First All American Dinner

**Okay, so here it is, chapter five! I don't have any new faves or reviews, so this chapter is dedicated to...well, my cat. Because I love her, she's fluffy, cute, and sits in my laps while I write. I love you, Squeakers!**

**Hope you enjoy! I go into a bit of cooking/shopping detail in the middle just because I love cooking and stuff...so I'm sorry if that's a little dry. If so, then just bear with me. Onward!**

* * *

><p><em>{A Couple of Weeks Later, 3:30 PM, Host Club Room}<em>

"Mari-chan! Come eat some cake with me! Please?" I hear Honey-sempai calling to me, but I'm almost done with Fuyumi's painting. I want to finish it today so that she can pick it up tomorrow.  
>"I'm almost done, Honey-sempai! I promise I'll be there in a bit." I say, as I finish some of the last touches. I use a calligraphy brush in a dry corner to paint my insignia on the canvas, then throw the sheet over it to dry. I walk over to Honey-sempai and sit down between him and Mori-sempai. Immediately I'm handed a piece of chocolate cake by Mori-sempai, which Honey-sempai knows is my weakness.<br>"It's some really yummy stuff that Kyoya-chan ordered for us! Try it, try it!" I smile and take a small forkful. I put it in my mouth and nearly melt on the spot. It truly is amazing cake.  
>"Kyoya ordered it for you, Honey-sempai? You must really like chocolate cake too, then." He shakes his head.<br>"No, he ordered it for you, Mari-chan! I told him you liked it and he got some for you." My eyes light up at this. He really did that?

No, he probably just figured that since Honey-sempai and I eat a lot of chocolate cake that he better get more. That's probably what it is.

"Oh, alright." I say, continuing to eat it.  
>"Mari-chan, what is it you were painting? Can I see it?"<br>"Mitsukuni." I hear Mori-sempai's stoic voice from next to me, and it makes me shiver just a little bit, considering how deep it is.  
>"What is it, Takashi? I want to see Mari-chan's painting! I bet it's another pretty landscape!" He giggles, but I shake my head.<br>"Actually no. It's a commission from someone who came to the open house. They actually asked me to paint a person this time, so that's what I've been doing. I promised them I'd have it finished by the middle of this week, and I just got it done."  
>"It's Tuesday, silly! You got it done in lots of time!" He says, and I nod with another forkful of cake in my mouth. When I finish the cake, I get up to go and put my things away for the day. The club room seems to be calming down, and soon there will be no one left. Might as well leave now than never.<p>

"Hey, Maria?" I hear Haruhi's voice and turn to face her.  
>"Yeah?" I ask her, and she starts helping me put some of my stuff away.<br>"Are you going to the evening gala next Friday?" I cock an eyebrow.  
>"A gala? First I've heard of it." I say as I rinse my brushes off in the club room kitchen sink. She washes out the cups of soiled water for me in the sink next to me.<br>"Really? I would have thought that Kyoya-sempai would have told you." I shake my head.  
>"No, he didn't. What gave you that impression?" She shrugged.<br>"Well, you and Kyoya-sempai seem closer than you were before. I figured that the two of you were talking more now." She said, and I laugh at this.  
>"You really think that just because we're on better terms, he'd be talking to me like some gossip girl? Please...no, he doesn't talk to me very often. Mostly because I've been busy working on a commission. He's been policing people and keeping them away from me. It's kind of nice, actually." I say. Haruhi smiles.<br>"I think that's because Kyoya-sempai wants you to stay. You make Tamaki-sempai happy. If you make him happy, then Kyoya-sempai is happy." I shrug.  
>"Funny thing is, I've hardly talked to Tamaki since he invited me here to the club. I've just been too busy I guess. And it's not like he's any less busy than I am." I say, and she nods.<br>"True enough. But it is kind of funny when I see you and Kyoya-sempai together. It's almost like you two actually get along."  
>"Don't count on it." I say as she helps me pack up my things. I take the wet painting and walk out of the door, Haruhi trailing behind me. When we get to the art room, I set the painting down and whip off the cover, then turn my back and start putting some of the borrowed art supplies away.<p>

"Is this Kyoya-sempai, Maria?" I turn to her and see that she's looking at the painting. I grin sheepishly, a little embarrassed.  
>"Yeah, it is. What do you think? Did it turn out okay?" She nods.<br>"Yeah, it looks great. If I didn't know that you'd painted it, I'd think it was a photo. Who is it for?" I walk over to it, gazing at it. I'm actually kind of surprised...I didn't think it would turn out as well as it did.  
>"This is for Kyoya's sister, Fuyumi. Kyoya doesn't know that she asked me, or that I even painted him...I wanted to keep it a secret so that I could catch him at ease. She wanted a picture of him that wasn't posed. So this is the result. I just hope she likes it." I say, gathering my things and turning off the lights.<br>"So Haruhi, what are you doing after this?" She shrugs.  
>"Well, I was going to go home and do some homework. My dad won't be home until late and I made him dinner for two nights. I figured I'd use the peace and quiet to study." I smile at her.<br>"If you want, you could come stay at my place tonight. It'd be great to have some company. I live alone since my family is in America, so you wouldn't be bothering me at all. It's your choice though." She thinks a moment, then smiles and nods.  
>"Sure, that sounds fun. If you give me your address, I'll come by after I get some of my things." I write it down with the only thing I have—my calligraphy pen—and give it to her neatly.<br>"Um...Maria...as much as I like English, I can't exactly read this." I look back, blush, then scribble it out and write it in Japanese.  
>"Sorry, I have problems still. Don't tell anyone though, especially Kyoya. The last thing that manipulative, conniving, evil guy needs is ammunition to humiliate me." I say, and she just laughs.<br>"Kyoya-sempai's a good person, I think. He is evil most of the time, but he never does anything that doesn't benefit him in some way. If it doesn't bring him any profit or gain him anything, he doesn't bother trying to do anything about the situation." I nod to her, though this information comes as odd to me.

_This isn't a favor from a 'rich person', but from a classmate...and a friend._

'If you don't do anything without gaining something in return, then why call yourself my friend? You can't gain anything from me...can you?'

"Maria, are you in there?" I look up at Haruhi and blink.  
>"Yeah, sorry, what was it?"<br>"I'm leaving now, but it won't take me too long to get back. See you in a bit?" I nod, smiling.  
>"Alright, no problem. I put my cell number on there too, so if you get lost just call me." I tell her, then go my own way home.<p>

I walk into my house and set about arranging it to look much neater than it actually is. I organize my art studio, clean up some random laundry, and wash dishes. I look in the fridge and see that there is pretty much nothing here. I sigh.

"I have to go to the store...damn..." I say, then grab my wallet and my phone, locking my apartment. There's a nice 'foreign goods' store not too far from here, and they carry all sorts of things from America. I want to make one of my favorite meals for Haruhi tonight, and it's completely different than she's ever had before, I'm sure.

As I walk there, my mind starts to wander back to what Haruhi said. If Kyoya doesn't gain anything from being friends with me, than why is he friends with me? Why would he associate himself with a commoner like me who has nothing to offer him other than witty sarcasm and apathy? I just don't get it. He does seem to take an interest in me, now that I think about it. That night a while back when he took me home was a real eye opener for me...why did he do that for me, I wonder? Was it something I said? Something I did? Or am I just so gorgeous and irresistible that he couldn't help himself?

Oh yeah, I know, it's got to be the last one. Totally. He fell for my good looks and feminine charm.

Hah, yeah right. I possess neither, so obviously that's not true. So what is it? He said so many things that night...I'm getting all jumbled up. Maybe I should drop it...the truth will come out eventually. In any case, he's valuable to have around. He's almost like a bodyguard, which is nice in its own way. The twins have been less annoying with him around. And though Tamaki's visits to see me are sparse, all he wants to do is flatter me about my 'exotic beauty' and call me his 'princess'. I still haven't figured out why Kyoya said Tamaki wants me around. Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai don't seem to mind my company, so they're not too bad. I like to think that they want me around, like Kyoya said. I've spent almost three weeks in total time at the host club, and they are all friendly enough. I guess I just have to let go and open up some more. And I haven't gotten harassed by any girls about the fact that I'm in the host club every day. It hasn't been so bad.

And then there's Haruhi, the only one who could ever hope to understand me completely. If she weren't around, I don't know what I'd do. We've talked here and there, but I've come to rely on her a little bit for her insight and her character. It's good to know she's so down to earth and easy to get along with.

I walk into the store and pick out some chicken breasts, flour, sugar, garlic powder, sage, thyme, mustard, mayo, Cheese Whiz, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, frying oil, and elbow macaroni. I notice that yellow potatoes are in, and grab some of those as well. I get a small carton of whole milk and some cream cheese. I snatch up white chocolate, raspberries, and Oreos. I grab some eggs before walking up to the counter to check out the items. It's a lot of food, I realize, but there's nothing saying I can't eat on it all for the next few days.

I carry my bags all the way back to my house, unload on the small island in my kitchen, and start to sort the items according to the dishes I'm going to make. I bring out pots, pans, measuring utensils and my fryer. I put the oil into the fryer and let it start going, while assembling a breading mixture of flour, garlic powder, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. I taste, adjust the amounts of breading my taste, then close it all up in a Ziploc bag and shake it up. I clean the chicken, being careful to trim the fat off of it, then toss a few pieces into the breading bag and shaking it. Once I hear the soft crackling of hot oil, I set about four large pieces of breaded chicken into the frying basket and then put it into the oil. The fryer roars to life as I begin to peel and chop potatoes, bringing water to a boil and dropping the potatoes in when I'm finished with them and the water is rolling. I get an onion out of my fridge—a staple in my diet—and start to dice it, managing to avoid making my eyes water in the process. I pull the first batch of chicken out, put in the second batch, then drain the potatoes into the colander and let them cool a moment. I run cold water over the potatoes to chill them a little more, then dump them into a big mixing bowl and start adding mayo and mustard. When I get the taste I want, I boil some eggs and chop them up finely, putting them into the mixing bowl and adding a decent amount of pepper.

I change over the chicken again, cover the mixing bowl with the potato salad in Saran wrap, and set it to chill in the fridge.

In a whirl of time, I manage to assemble the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake and the macaroni and cheese just before Haruhi arrives. I'm finishing chicken as I hear a knock on my door, however faint it is. I set the cheesecake to chill in the fridge on the shelf below the salad and stir the cheese sauce for the macaroni and cheese, the consistency still not quite right for the pasta to be added. I walk over to the door—covered in flower, sugar, garlic powder and eggs whites—and open the door for her.

"Wow, Maria...you paint with food, too?" She asks me with a crooked smile. I laugh in return.  
>"It's part of versatility, Haruhi! But sadly, no, I don't paint with food. I'm making dinner now though, so make yourself comfortable. It's almost ready. I hope you're hungry." I tell her, closing the door behind her and making my way back to the kitchen. I pull the last of the chicken out of the fryer, stir the cheese sauce again, then grab two sets of dishes from the cupboard. I scramble for some chopsticks, then set the table as best as I can. I'm not one for tradition, but I'm sure Haruhi will understand and not criticize me for it.<p>

I head back into the kitchen, adding the pasta to the cheese sauce and dishing some of it into a small serving bowl. I do the same with everything else except the cheesecake, knowing we won't be able to eat all of the food I've made. My mother never made than more than enough when it came to food, and I've only ever learned from watching her and doing stuff on my own. So there's way too much, but I certainly won't go hungry for the next few days. And I don't have to make dinner for a while. That's always a bonus.

"Maria, what is all of this? I've never seen this stuff before..." I say as I set the chicken, macaroni and cheese, and potato salad in front of her. She just stares at it for a while until I answer her, a laugh preceding me.  
>"Well, I thought I'd introduce you to some of my favorite dishes that my family eats in America. What you have is fried chicken strips—my father's recipe—then, potato salad—my mother's recipe—and macaroni and cheese. It's not something that's served often out of the states, but I like the taste of my country. So enjoy, I hope you like it. I don't know what you do and don't like so I just went with whatever." She smiles.<br>"It looks great. It's certainly strange, but it looks really good!" I pick up my fork, and she looks at me weirdly yet again.  
>"A fork? Don't you use chopsticks?" I shrug.<br>"In America we eat with forks. We almost never eat with chopsticks unless we go out and eat Chinese or Japanese food. I have chopsticks, it's just not my favorite choice when I eat at home." I say, and she nods, though I can't exactly tell her that I can't use chopsticks. That would just be embarrassing.

She attempts to pick apart the fried chicken with her chopsticks, but it doesn't turn out so well. I laugh at her.

"Fried chicken is meant to be eaten with your fingers, Haruhi. Sorry, I didn't mention that." She laughs, then picks up the chicken and takes a bite out of it. At first, her face is quizzical, but then it brightens and she begins to devour it without a word. I'm guessing that means I did a good job, so I eat as well, unabashed by my lack of manners. She doesn't say anything, which means it's not too terrible. She'd be staring at me if I was eating like a pig.

Her reactions to the potato salad and the macaroni and cheese is relatively the same as with the fried chicken, though she did get more of the mac when she was finished. It's my favorite too, so I don't blame her. When we've eaten our fill, we sit there and laugh at how full we are.

"Well, I made a cheesecake, but I don't think we'll be able to eat it now." I say, and she laughs.  
>"It's alright, I don't really like sweets anyway." I shake my head in response.<br>"It's white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. It's a mixture of tart and sweet. I think you'll like it. I can't wait to give some to Honey-sempai...I think he'll really like it." I say, and she nods.  
>"He will. I don't think it has to be anything special. If it comes from you, he'll eat it, regardless of what it is. And good thing too, I'd hate to see good food like this go to waste." She says, and I laugh.<br>"Yeah, but my mom's cooking is even better. She makes a mean lasagna." Her eyebrow lifts at this.  
>"What's that?" I laugh, clutching my sides.<br>"You don't know what lasagna is? I'll have to make it for you...there's nothing I can use to describe my mother's lasagna. You have to taste it to understand what it is." I say, and she nods with a laugh in return.

We recline for a while, and then she helps me clean up the kitchen. Afterward, we sit in my bedroom and just start to talk for a while. It's dark outside, and we'll have to head to bed soon, but we can relax and talk for a while first.

"Oh, Maria, I never got to ask...what are you going to wear to the gala on Friday?" I shrug.  
>"As far as I knew, like I said before, there wasn't one. But now that I know, I have no idea. I don't have anything that I could wear to a gala. I don't wear dresses that often...at least not anymore. I sold a lot of them when I got too tall and lost weight. Now I don't have any at all. So I don't think I'll be going." I say, and she sighs.<br>"That's too bad. I don't have a choice...I'm practically being forced. It's another one of Tamaki-sempai's schemes...there's a couple he wants to get back together. They're engaged, but the girl's been host-hopping to try and get the guy's attention, but also make him jealous. Tamaki-sempai wants them to make up, since they're childhood friends and the guy's leaving for England soon." I nod with a smile.  
>"Tamaki has a big heart, doesn't he? That's what I've noticed." She nods.<br>"He does. As annoying as he is most of the time, I have to agree that he has a big heart. It's one of his better qualities." I laugh, nodding.  
>"That's true. He's certainly more likeable than Kyoya, though. I mean, come on, that guy walks around like he's out to get everyone." She giggles a little at this, and I can't help but notice that it's one of the first times I've ever heard Haruhi giggle.<br>"I think Kyoya-sempai has his traits, too. I'm sure he's not as bad as he seems. Tell me, Maria...what was it that Kyoya-sempai did that made you forget you were mad at him?" I sit back against the wall, think for a moment, then shrug.  
>"I...it's complicated. Even I don't know that one...it's something like he convinced me that rich people aren't so bad. I've always had a loathing and an envy for rich people. Because of that, I've always been hostile toward them and refuse to take any favors from them. He said some things that made me realize that accepting offers from people isn't so bad...look at their character, not their wallet, I guess. It was eye-opening for me. As much crap as I talk on Kyoya, I have to say...out of all of the host club, he's the one I like the most." I say before I can stop myself. She stares at me for a few moments before speaking again.<p>

"So...you like Kyoya-sempai?" I shrug.  
>"Yeah, he's okay. He makes more sense than anyone else in the club, besides you. I don't know, I guess I just...connect with him a little more. I don't know enough about him yet to say we're similar, but I get the feeling he knows more about me because he sees himself in me. That could be me being presumptuous and stupid, but that's the only thing I can come up with. I don't know why he associates himself with me...if he only does it to gain something, then what could he possibly gain from me? I don't have anything to offer. I have wit, humor, sarcasm, and cynicism. I have self-respect, but I don't take compliments well at all. I just don't see what I could give him to benefit him." Haruhi shrugs.<br>"I don't know, Maria. But I think you like Kyoya-sempai a lot more than you think. I think you guys are the same in a lot of ways, at least from my point of view. Though he does possess a certain...quality that thankfully you don't have." I cock an eyebrow at this.  
>"And what's that awful quality?" I ask.<br>"He's just so mean! He goes out of his way to make life hell for me...what with hanging my debt over my head all of the time and getting me to do things with bribes of debt reduction...he's a con artist, I swear! I can't see you acting cruel against anyone! You're way too nice...yeah, you're sarcastic and blunt, but you don't hurt anyone. He's just downright evil!" I laugh at her, and the night continues on from there

Once we're in bed and she's asleep, however, I feel my mind wandering.

What is Kyoya really like_?_ What is it about him that's so interesting to me? What more is there to him than a doting sister and deep cynicism to make a dictator look like a tame kitten? What else is there beyond the analytical eyes and articulate words?

I have so many questions that I want answered, but I don't even know him that well. If I knew him better, I would ask him, but I don't. I wasn't lying to Haruhi when I told her I like him, though. I admire him for being so confident and intelligent. If I could be like that...

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't gifted with money and great looks like he was. So that's not something I can just pull out of my ass. The money is achievable in some way, but the good looks...well, let's just say genetics suck balls. Still, that doesn't change the fact that if there was someone I wanted to emulate in any way, it would be him. He could be a good role model...if he wasn't so cruel to everyone, he'd make a good example of what to aspire to be.

As I drift off to sleep, one last question lingers in my head, one that I didn't even really notice before that I really want answered.

What does he think of me? What does he see when he looks at me?

Not that his opinion matters, of course, but it's an interesting thought, at least.

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><p><strong>So, that's the end. These chapters are getting rather long, but I don't do anything but make sensible breaks in the story. It flows better that way. If you want to, let me know what you think and if you have some criticisms, so I can make better changes for you to read better work. Thanks for reading!<strong>

**All my love!**

**B-chan**


	6. Cheesecake and Parties

**Alright! I've got a lot of stuff to start with. I want to dedicate this chapter first to my second reviewer, xXNightly RainXx, who was so kind to leave me a really sweet review. I'd also like to dedicate this to her as well as Yuki101 and Im not a model Im just hot for adding this story to their alerts. That's so kind of you and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! I'm enjoying writing the play-by-play between Kyoya and Maria.**

**So, I don't own anything in here except my idea and OC's. Otherwise it all belongs to Bisco Hatori-san. She's amazing for creating such gorgeous men that could only ever exist in a fantasy world. Nevertheless, I love her for it. I make no money off of this and only get the pure enjoyment of my own creations. Hope you enjoy this next chapter as much as I did! :3**

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><p>"Mari-chan! Mari-chan, why did you blindfold me?" I hear Honey-sempai's whines and I laugh.<br>"Hold on, Honey-sempai! I'll be right there." I say, setting the slice of cheesecake on a small plate and getting a dessert fork to put on the plate. The untouched cheesecake from yesterday is now in pieces, although only one is missing at the moment. I set the plate down in front of him and pull the blindfold from his face. He looks down in front of him, Usa-chan in his lap, and his face lights up.

"It's cheesecake! Mari-chan, what kind is it?" I smile.  
>"It's white chocolate raspberry cheesecake with a chocolate cookie crumb crust. I made it last night. I wanted you to try it." I say, and his face starts to sparkle, tears at the corner of his eyes.<br>"For me, Mari-chan? It looks so yummy!" He picks up the fork, and I almost have to hold my breath. I just hope it turned out okay, since I haven't tasted it yet. He puts a bit of it in his mouth, chews, and when he's done with the first bite I can let out the breath I'd been holding.  
>"Mari-chan, it's so good! You really made this?" I nod.<br>"Yes, it's my favorite cheesecake in the world. Nothing else is better than this, at least, nothing I've ever tried. I'm not very worldly when it comes to cheesecake though, haha." I say, and he continues to eat it without another word. Tamaki then prances over to me, a sparkling and admiring look in his eyes. I feel my insides turn a little, but do the best I can to remain poker-faced.  
>"My dear princess, your hands really do work magic...on a canvas and in a kitchen. I would be honored to try some of this cheesecake you have made." I shrug.<br>"That's what I made it for. I brought it to share with all of you." I say, walking over to the counter where the rest of the cake is sitting and pulling out some more plates. I have three ducklings waiting on the other side of the counter, though they look a little more like puppies.  
>"Oh, Mari-chan...who knew you were such an amazing cook...you must cook more often."<br>"Yes, you have to. So Kaoru and I can eat more of your amazing food, created by your beautiful hands."  
>"Would you two get your hands off of me? I can't exactly dish up cake when you two have your arms all around me." They grin, and by this time, Kaoru has his arms around my hips while Hikaru's are around my waist. I give them their cake and they leave, and then I give Tamaki his.<br>"Mori-sempai, would you like some?" I ask him from across the room. He looks at me from the side, stoic as always.  
>"Yeah." He says, and though I know he's a man of very few words, I do wish he'd speak a little more. He's got a great voice and mind. I wish he'd speak it a little more than he does.<br>"Alright, here. I hope you like it." I say as I gently set it into his hand.  
>"Thanks." He says, and I can't help smiling. He's adorable, really. I guess that's what I get for reading too much shoujo, though. The strong, silent type is always the most attractive one, I suppose.<p>

Maybe, except for the glasses-wearing intellectual who's super sweet and kind because he's so nerdy and girls tend to reject him. That's my absolute most favorite. Too bad there aren't any of those types here in the host club. I think they'd draw a huge crowd with that one.

"Haruhi? I know you don't like sweets, but I think you'll like this." She smiles at me.  
>"Sure, I'll try some. I'm sure it's great if you made it, Maria." I laugh at this, embarrassed.<br>"Haha, that doesn't mean anything. It's just a recipe I stole from one of my favorite restaurants in the U.S., that's all. Here, a smaller piece for you." I give it to her, and by the end I have exactly two pieces left.  
>"Kyoya?" I ask, without having to voice out loud an entire question. He's writing away on a clipboard, and seems distracted.<br>"No thanks, I don't like sweets." He says, and I can't help feeling a little irked by his response. Maybe it was his tone—it was rather nonchalant and uncaring—but I shake it off and get a piece for myself before covering the last piece in case he changes his mind later. Not that he would, but who knows, he may get curious.

"Mari-chan, you're an amazing cook! It's so good...and it's not too sweet, either." Haruhi says, and I smile.  
>"That's what I love about it. The raspberries and cream cheese help cut some of the sweetness of the chocolate and the cookies. I think that's why it's one of my favorites." I say, taking a big bite of it. I sigh and sit back against the couch to savor this moment of pure bliss.<br>"Mari-chan, you didn't bring your art stuff with you today. What gives?" Asked the twins. I shrug.  
>"I just wanted to take a break today. I've been doing so much lately, with the mural and the commission, and next to that all of the work I do in studio. It's just so hard for me to keep going when it's just as easy for me to get burnt out. I have to take a break every now and then too, you know." I say, continuing to eat my cake. Then, Haruhi pipes up something I really wish she would have kept quite about.<p>

"Maria, I forgot to ask, are you sure you don't want to go to the dance party?" All eyes on me—save for Kyoya—I shake my head.  
>"It's alright. Besides, I'm not sure anyone in this school would have something for me to wear anyway. It's not like I have money to go out and buy a dress, either. So it's just as well." I say, but the next thing I know Tamaki's in front of me, down on one knee, my hand in his.<br>"Oh, Mari-chan, you can't possibly begin to tell me that someone as beautiful as yourself plans to miss one of the biggest events of the year? We are sponsoring that dance party, and if I say you are going to attend, then you will! Dress or not, no lady your age should ever miss out on the opportunity to dance with so many pleasant young gentlemen for a night." I sweatdrop, knowing that this is not going to end well.  
>"Tamaki...what do you guys consider 'dancing', exactly? I think our meanings aren't the same." He pulls me up against him, a hand at my waist and the other holding my hand, poised and ready for the music that certainly won't be playing.<br>"My dear, what other kind of dancing is there? After all, everyone knows how to waltz! Why, even Haruhi knows how!" I shake my head.  
>"I...don't. We don't do that in America." I say, pulling away from him.<br>"You...don't?" He asks, shocked. I shake my head.  
>"Don't worry about it Tamaki. I don't have a dress, and I can't dance. It's not a big deal, I'll just be at home for the night. It's not like I could go out and buy a dress or take dance lessons. I don't have that kind of money." He stares at me for a moment, then snaps his finger.<p>

"Hikaru, Kaoru!"  
>"Yes, boss!"<br>"Tomorrow, you two will take Maria home with you and have your mother make a dress for her! Maria, you will be attending that dance party, and the host club will make sure of it! In a matter of days we'll make you into one of the best ballroom dancers of our time!" I facepalm at this.  
>"You guys, I don't really think that—"<br>"Nonsense, my dear, you will learn. With _moi_ as your teacher—"  
>"Nuh uh, no way boss! Hikaru and I will teach her how to dance, after all, we're the best in our grade!"<br>"Woah, time out!" I shout, and they all look at me with gaping looks on their face, all of them except Kyoya and Mori-sempai, who are either ignoring me or passive.

"Look, I appreciate that you guys want to help me out, but honestly..." Braced for me to reject their offer, Tamaki got a pouting look on his face. I sighed in defeat.  
>"...I can't dance with Hikaru or Kaoru. They're way too short. And if I put on heels—which I'm sure I'm going to end up wearing—then I'll be as tall, if not taller, than you, Tamaki. I can't dance with someone who isn't taller than me...not someone who's going to teach me. I'll be stepping all over you anyway, the height difference will make it even worse." I say, and they relax a little.<br>"Well then, who could you dance with? Kyoya is the same height as Tamaki, so that leaves Mori-sempai." Hikaru said. I look at said stoic man, who stands up and towers over me. For once, I'm glad he's so tall. He's much less annoying than the rest of those guys.  
>"Takashi will teach Mari-chan to dance, won't you Takashi?" The stoic man looks at Honey-sempai, then back to me.<br>"Yeah, sure." He says, and I smile.  
>"Thanks, Mori-sempai. I'll apologize ahead of time for any injuries I'm going to cause you." He smirks a little at this, his way of laughing at my remark that is mostly serious.<br>"So it's decided! Tomorrow, you'll practice with Mori-sempai after school, then go home with Hikaru and Kaoru to get fitted for you beautiful dress!"  
>"Yeah...okay. And guys? Thanks." I say shyly, and I feel my cheeks burning a little. This is the first time they've done something for me. It actually makes me a little happy inside.<p>

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><p>"Kyoya, don't you think it's a little late? Shouldn't you be heading home?" I ask, but he simply continues with his work without looking up at me.<br>"I have some work to sort out before I retire for the evening. Though I could say the same thing about you." I laugh nervously.  
>"Well, someone who commissioned me said she'd drop by here to get the painting from me. I'm actually on my way there now." I say, and he gets up and disappears into the large closet that houses the sweets and tea, closing the door. I sigh.<br>"_God, do you have to be such a jerk all the time?"_ I ask no one in particular, letting myself speak a little English in the meantime. I then get an idea. Smirking, I go about my business before running over to the art room to meet Fuyumi. She'll forgive me if I'm a little late, I'm sure.

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><p>Coming out of the sweets closet, Kyoya goes back to the table he was sitting at to find something waiting for him next to his laptop. He looks to the corner and sees that, though Maria's stuff is still there, she is nowhere to be found. He sits down and, curious, tastes the cheesecake everyone had been fawning over earlier. Surprisingly, he finds it actually edible, even slightly enjoyable, and before he realizes it he's eaten the entire piece. He smiles a little to himself, realizing she'd gone out of her way to make him do something he didn't want to do. That manipulative, conniving, evil, sarcastic...<p>

Yet, he was a little glad she had. To miss a cheesecake of this quality was a sin.

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><p>"Oh, this is fantastic Maria! I love it so much! How did you get him to sit still for so long?" I laugh at this.<br>"It wasn't hard at all. He does it often enough." She laughs, handing me a check. I look at it and nearly faint on the spot. I keep my composure for the sake of her presence.  
>"I suppose. I can't wait to hang it on my wall. I hope you enjoyed painting it. Does he know you painted him?" I shake my head.<br>"No, he doesn't. I'm sure if he did he wouldn't have let it happen. So no, he doesn't know." She smiled.  
>"I'll have to tell him when he comes over next time. Oh, well, look at that! It's getting late, and I'm sure you need to get home. Thanks again, and maybe I'll see you around?" I shrug with a smile.<br>"Haha, maybe. See you!" I say, and she walks out of the room. I manage to make it back to the music room before I collapse into a chair and gaze at the check. It's so much money...I can't seem to be able to absorb it. It has her name on it—married, not maiden—and it just looks so official. I have to keep telling myself it isn't a dream...I could eat on this money for months to come, though with my luck it won't last.

"You look a little flustered. Was it too much for you to handle, getting paid for your work?" I glance up at Kyoya, then shake my head. I stand and walk past him.  
>"No, it's just a little overwhelming. I've never been paid for my work, and she gave me so much...I don't know if it really was worth that much..." I put the check into my bag, pick it up, and turn toward the door. I notice the empty plate on the table, and though I want to say something, it's better that I don't.<br>"I'm surprised you decided to go along with Tamaki's charade, Maria. It's unlike you to give in without more of a fight." I laugh a little at this.  
>"Ah, well...whose to say I'm actually giving in? I'm simply humoring them. I have no intention of taking their offers. I don't take favors, and I don't plan on changing that fact."<br>"Yes, I realize that. However, I think you may find these circumstances different than what they seem. Tamaki was sincere when he said he wanted you to attend the party. If he hadn't said something, I certainly would have. You may not be a host, but you have a decent request amount from the girls that come in. Many of them enjoy sitting and watching you work. They find it quite fascinating. In other words...you're part of the club now. And club rules state that every member must attend an event." I sigh at this.  
>"I don't recall saying that I was a member or that I wanted to be one." I say, but he smirks and shakes his head.<br>"You make money for the club. Regardless of whether you wanted to or not, you've become a part of this club. Might as well accept it, because you're in too deep now. I don't think Tamaki or the twins would ever allow you to leave. And it already seems like you're close to Haruhi." I shrug, brushing it off.

"Well, if that's the way you want to look at it, go ahead. The point is, I don't take favors and I don't like being doted upon. I'm not that type of person. If I start to take advantage of the things you guys can toss at me left and right, I could come to expect them. I don't want to turn into a mooch, of all things that could go wrong. It's nice that you guys could do these things for me and think nothing of it, but where I come from the stuff you guys call trivial is a lot harder to get and costs a whole lot more. So don't be offended if I tell you that you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about when I say that I just can't accept things like that." I say, starting toward the door.  
>"I didn't say that you have to get used to it. But they want to do this for you. They're trying to welcome you and make you comfortable, of all things. You bring something to the group. It may be small now, but if you stick around long enough, it may surprise you how much you really contribute to this club." I shake my head.<br>"How could I ever pay you guys back? Haruhi has no choice, given that she's indebted to you guys. I'm just an extra...I couldn't say yes to these things and not expect to make some kind of repayment." I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn to look at him. He's got an honest smirk on his face, which is a little surprising to me and prevents me from saying anything.  
>"You put a smile on the others' faces and bring in a profit. Consider that your repayment. Besides, no matter how much you protest, you will never get Tamaki to back down. So it's your choice—either give in, or you could be taken by force. It is your decision, but you do much more than you realize." I stare at him for a moment. Why is he being so insightful? Of all people to give me advice like this, he's really the last person I ever expected to hear this from. Haruhi, definitely, and maybe my mother, but...Kyoya?<p>

Whatever the case, I see what he means. I smirk and brush him off.

"If you say so, Kyoya. I'll consider what you've said, but...I'm pretty stubborn. The Irish in me tends to do the opposite of what people tell me. I can't guarantee I'll take your advice. Call it genetics, but pigheadedness runs rampant in my family. Still, it's nice of you to get off your high horse for once. It certainly suits you much better than your high and mighty, 'I'm a creepy jerk and money grubber' act." I say, slipping out of the room and starting down the hallway.

I'm touched by what he's said, no matter how contrary or sarcastic I am. No one's ever tried to convince me to do anything. My mother's always raised me to make my own decisions and has been rather impassive when it comes to having an opinion. To hear someone give me an opinion is a little weird, and though in normal situations I'm sure I'd lash out and call them an idiot. But this is Kyoya...he's not an idiot in most ways. It's hard for me to see him as an idiot, and he's always managed to have some sort of merit behind his words.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to listen to someone else besides myself for once.

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><p><strong>Yay! End of chapter six...and we're just getting to the gala...oh, and in the next few chapters we have even managed to make it to Kyoya's family amusement park. Spoiler for those of you who don't know that part, but it's in the anime. I'm following the anime for the most part, then at the end switching over to the manga. I like to mix it up. I'll be deleting things and adding things here and there, so bear with me. I hope you enjoyed it, and keep those alerts and reviews coming! When they pile up it makes me want to give you guys some more!<strong>

**All my love!**

**~B-chan**


	7. Dancing with the Host Club Part 1

**Yay! Chapter seven! I'd like to take a moment to dedicate this chapter to Im not a model Im just hot because she wrote a really sweet and awesome review that made me so very, very happy! So happy, in fact, that I wanted to put out the next chapter. I'm working on a part that's a little harder for me to write right now, because Maria is currently dealing with a couple of things she's not used to when it comes to people. So yeah, just a little spoiler there for a few chapters ahead, but things will go back to normal once again after she comes to terms with those couple of things. As always, review if you want me to get better, tell me what you like, what you don't like, what could be changed, and how the characters act. The lack of romance is driving me crazy right now, but all in due time I assure you. I'm being careful not to rush into things too quickly. This chapter gives you a bit more of a taste of what kind of inner conflicts are going on with Kyoya, but you don't really find out how Maria is affecting him until much later. Just know that right now he's having a hard time coming to terms with his own feelings, because this author is evil and loves to see him squirm, hehe. So read on and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

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><p><em>{Monday, 4:30 PM ~T minus five days until the dance party~}<em>

"Mari-chan, you're doing great!" Honey's voice fills my ears, and I smile over to him regardless of the sweat on my brow and the utterly unbearable feeling of guilt I have. I've stepped on Mori's toes probably a dozen times since we've started, and not once has he flinched or gotten angry. He's so nice, and I just feel so horrible for stepping all over him. Not only have I had to put him and everyone else off since last Wednesday—mainly, I got a huge project and didn't finish it until last night—and now I'm demolishing his feet.

Still, he is a good dancer, and not exactly bad looking. I'm wearing heels and he's _still _taller than me. It's not exactly a bad position to be in, considering all things.

"Thanks Honey-sempai...oops! Sorry, I stepped on you again...I'm so sorry about this, Mori-sempai." I say to him and he shakes his head with a small smile.  
>"Don't worry about it." He says, and I smile as I attempt—emphasis on that word—to figure out how to dance this stupid, retarded, dumb, horribly simple dance that most would get immediately. It would help if I wasn't so damn uncoordinated.<p>

Coordinated enough to wear heels and not kill myself, but not coordinated enough for anything else. Go figure that one out.

* * *

><p>"Kyoya-sempai, don't you think you should have told Maria that before she started dancing with Mori?" Haruhi asks the spectacled boy standing behind her, who had just made a comment to her. He shrugs.<br>"It's best if she learns on her own first. Once she realizes she's having too many problems, it'll be her decision to change her dance partner."  
>"Is Mori-sempai really that bad of a partner, then?" Kyoya pushes up his glasses as he looks at her from his clipboard.<br>"No. In truth, the fault lies completely on Maria. She thought that if she had a taller partner, she'd be able to dance with him just fine because his stride is more than hers. Just because he's taller, however, doesn't mean that he has a larger stride. Mori-sempai has been dancing for quite some time, and I'm sure he's danced with a lot more girls who are considerably short than Maria. He's used to adapting to someone's height. Her amateur thoughts have led her to forget that Mori-sempai is compensating for their difference in height by adjusting his stride. As for Maria, she's using a larger stride than normal and stepping on Mori-sempai's toes because of it. Her fault is a little more subconscious, and I think that Mori-sempai is a little too nice to point it out to her. She'll realize it all too soon." He explains, a look of concern ever so slight on his features. To Haruhi, it's clear that he would like to step in, but he's not doing it. She points this out.  
>"But then, why don't you step in and say something? It's clearly bothering you." Haruhi says, which catches the cool type a little off guard, but he recovers quickly.<br>"Quite the contrary, Haruhi. It's benefiting the club quite a bit, actually. After all, it is drawing quite a crowd." The Hitachiin twins appear beside Kyoya and grin mischievously as all three of the first years analyze the scene in front of them.

"There you go, you've got it! Now just keep with it...good!" Honey's voice carries over the squeals of the girls surrounding the two dancers. In truth, it was quite a sight to behold. No one—save for Kyoya—could keep their admiring eyes off of them.

Dressed in long black leggings, a light purple off the shoulder lounge sweater with a gray tanktop beneath it, Maria's feet sparkled with silver. Her shoes, a whole whopping four and a half inches tall, brought her up to Mori's chin. She wasn't having balance problems in the least. Instead, it was the actual act of dancing that was throwing her off. And yet, some girls found it cute. They were even saying little things to each other.

"That's Maria, from Class 2-A right? I didn't know she was so pretty, or so tall!"  
>"Yeah, and she looks so good next to Mori-sempai. It almost makes you want to hate her."<br>"But, I've heard she's pretty nice and is a great painter. Kind of makes it hard to hate her."  
>"And she's so humble. I guess that's what happens when you're a commoner."<br>"They look so cute together! They could totally pass as a couple. No one would think otherwise, I'm sure."  
>"Do you think they're going to the dance together? That's why he's teaching her, isn't it? Because he wants to dance with her?"<p>

The twins looked back at 'Mommy' and noticed how stiff he was. He stood absolutely straight, and though that wasn't any different from normal, they could see he was purposely avoiding the scene in the middle of the room.

"Kyoya-sempai, are you—"  
>"—a little jealous of Mori-sempai?" The twins asked. Said sempai didn't look up from his clipboard.<br>"Have I given any indication of jealousy? If you think so, you're mistaken."

'Yep, he's definitely jealous.' The twins said simultaneously through their telepathy.

"You know, Kyoya-sempai, if you want to dance with Maria, you can just ask. I don't think she'll mind all that much. You said it yourself that she's going to end up with another partner anyway, so why not step up and show her that?"  
>"Haruhi, if you don't drop it I'll be forced to add half of the event expenses to your debt. And that's after I cut a third out of it for attending." Unable to say any more on the subject, everyone dropped it for the moment. It was clear that they were going to get nowhere with the Shadow King.<p>

* * *

><p>"Mori-sempai, thank you so much for teaching me today! I certainly hope your feet don't have any permanent damage..." Honey-sempai hopped up onto Mori-sempai's shoulders, which made me smile.<br>"Don't worry, Mari-chan. Takashi wore steel-toed shoes today, so you didn't hurt him at all!"  
>"Oh...okay. Haha, whatever works, right?" I can't help feeling a little...offended at this. My guess is that he knew how this event was going to turn out. But it's better to be safe than sorry.<br>"We'll see you tomorrow, Mari-chan! Be sure to rest up for another lesson!" Honey-sempai shouts as he and Mori-sempai leave. I collapse onto a couch and hang my head in my hands. This is not going to turn out well. Four days left and I don't have a dress or know how to dance. I have a feeling this is going to be a disaster.

"You can't tell me practicing the waltz has tired you out, Maria? After all, it's not that complicated or that rigorous."

That's the last voice I want to hear right now. Of all people, he should be the last one to talk. He didn't even offer to help me.

"If it's not so complicated, then explain to me what I'm doing wrong your 'Royal Jackass'." I say with as much menace and sarcam as I can muster in my muffled and degenerative state.  
>"I'd be more than happy to." He says, turning his back to me and unbuttoning his blazer. He slips it off, unbuttons the cuffs of his shirt, and slides up his sleeves.<p>

I've never seen him get so worked up. So he wasn't kidding? He's seriously going to teach me right now?

"Wait, Kyoya, I didn't know—"  
>"Come on, I don't have all day. You still have to go home with the twins to get fitted for a dress. I'd rather not be here all night." He's being so callous and such a jerk...I can't help feeling reluctant to let him help me.<br>"Okay, then let me take my shoes off—"  
>"There's no need. You'll do just fine with your shoes on." Not wanting to hear any more from him, I rise and walk to the center of the room, where he stands with his arms crossed. Surprisingly, we're the same height right now. I can't help feeling a little...happy because of it.<br>"Are you going to gawk or are you going to walk over here?" I stride over to him and let him take my hand, putting his other hand on my lower back and pulling me close. That now puts me body to body with Kyoya Otori.

Surprisingly, I find it very sexy to be so close to him. He's so serious about this. I can't help thinking that it's so demanding, but so attractive. It takes all I have not to giggle.

No, I did not call him attractive or sexy, I called the situation attractive and sexy. Just go with it.

"Now, what Mori-sempai was teaching you—with Honey-sempai's help—was spot on. There was no fault in their teaching methods. You have previous ballroom experience, I assume?" I nod a little.  
>"Yeah, I was in school plays, and we often had some large dance scenes. I'm not unfamiliar to it, just uncomfortable and not properly trained." I said, and he shook his head.<br>"One thing you need to realize is that you're going to be dancing with high class gentlemen who, consequently, have been trained at a very young age in dance. Most of them have at least ten years on you, if not more. They adjust to you, and you shouldn't feel limited to the people you are dancing with just because you happen to be so much taller than they are. If you understand that, you can dance with anyone. Now, follow me and I'll show you what I mean." I nod dumbly, feeling like he's talking to me as if this is common sense.

Well, I'm sorry I'm not trained to know. It's not exactly 'the thing to do' where I come from. Pardon the hell out of me.

I start to follow him, and not even after the first three steps do I step on his feet. He stops, adjusts, and then we continue. After a few more tries, he stops for a little longer.

"There's no need to adjust to my steps, Maria. After all, I am leading you. You need only follow me. If you do that, you'll find that you won't be stepping on my feet." I nod and let him take the lead.

Then, it's like everything clicks.

I hear music in the background and, looking at the piano across the room, recognize the tune. It's by Bach, his 'Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude' for Organ. I didn't think it sounded so good on piano. But it's in three, and a decent waltz tempo. Tamaki is playing music for us.

Why do I feel so special and so touched right now? There's no reason for it...could it just be my internal female having a mood swing?

"See? It's not so hard when you just let yourself fall into the pattern. Next time, and from now on, don't try to think about what you're doing. Simply fall in step with your partner. They're the ones who are supposed to guide you, after all." He says, though he doesn't let me go. We dance until the song ends, and I just feel so...funny. I can't describe it at all, but it's good and fuzzy.

God, I sound like a girl.

* * *

><p>"When do you think they'll figure it out, Takashi?" Honey asks as him and Mori stand outside the music room, watching Kyoya dance with Maria. Having known this was going to happen, the two of them had kindly stepped in for the simple reason of making Kyoya step up.<p>

"Who knows. Only time will tell." He says thoughtfully as they turn and leave. Their hearts are light and their thoughts happy as they make their way home.

* * *

><p>"You ready, Mari-chan? Mother's waiting for you at home. She's really excited, so we shouldn't keep her waiting." Hikaru and Kaoru say to me as I gather my things. I nod as they begin to ask me some questions.<br>"So, what's your favorite color, Mari-chan?" I smile, then laugh. So cliché.  
>"Well, first it's red, then purple, then green. Why the sudden interest?" They ignore me and continue.<br>"Ooh, purple would look really good, don't you think Hikaru? I mean, it would really play with the color of her eyes..."  
>"Why, of course, Kaoru! So, what shades of purple do you like? Plum? Mauve? Lavender?" I shake my head.<br>"Lavender's okay, but I much prefer dark jewel tones. For that reason, I've always been jealous of my youngest sister for being born in February. I love the amethyst color, so deep and vibrant and purple. If you look at some of my older works, I use it quite a bit." I tell them, though they seem to not really be that interested in the information.  
>"Jewel tones, huh? Well, you'll have to tell that to Mother. She would know even better than us." They say in unison as we leave the room. I have a feeling this is going to be a long, long night.<p>

When we arrive at their home, I'm in utter shock. Having never been near filthy rich people, these sort of houses are a new thing to me. It's literally out of a movie, or a fairytale. This house is a gigantic, monstrous being of beauty. I gawk as I'm drug along by the twins into their enormous house. I don't stop gawking until the two of them stop pulling me along. Then, I look forward and see the beautiful woman that is their mother. I suddenly feel very dirty and gross and ugly with her in the room. Maybe that's just my insecurities coming through, but I can't help feeling like I'm standing in front of a celebrity. In all honesty I've never heard of her being a fashion designer, but I'm sure that's because her stuff is more expensive than I can afford, not that she's not famous.

"Oh, sweeties, this is your friend? She's so tall...tell me your name, sweetheart." I smile at her and come forward to shake her hand, but instead get pulled into a hug. She's certainly much more pleasant than either of her sons.  
>"I'm Maria, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you."<br>"Likewise, sweetheart. So, first I need your measurements. Boys, step out please." And without a word they're gone, leaving me alone with their mother. I stand there as she starts to take my measurements. When she's finished, I turn to her.

"You are a very voluptuous woman, if I may say so. And you're only 16?" I nod.  
>"I'm not from Japan, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I come from a German and Irish family." She nods.<br>"I figured as much. You're a full-bodied woman, characteristic of both the German and Irish descendants. But your eyes, darling, are something else. Your Irish is showing. They're gorgeous! I know exactly the color to use. Is satin alright?" I nod as she disappears into a closet. She emerges later with a roll of beautiful purple satin and, surprisingly, lavender satin as well that's less pink and more of a pale purple. She sets them in a chair next to a table that has her designing pad on it. She starts to draw, and I sit down to wait.  
>"Oh, dear. I forgot to ask what kind of dress you would like. But what do you think of this?" She holds up the pad, and I stare at it for a moment. I then reach my hand toward it.<p>

"Do you mind?" I ask, pulling out my own eraser and pencil. She smiles and puts her head in her hand, shaking her head.  
>"Not at all. Go right ahead." She says. I nod and continue with my work. After a few minutes, I produce something else that she takes back. She smiles at me.<br>"This is beautiful, darling. I look forward to making it for you. Will you come back tomorrow for your first fitting?" I cock an eyebrow.  
>"Are you sure you'll have it done that quickly?" I ask, and she just laughs.<br>"Of course, darling! What kind of designer do you take me for? You are a friend of my sons, and rest assured only the best seamstresses will be working on this dress. It will be done tomorrow afternoon." I nod in haste, and she laughs as she starts to draw and color the picture.

"One more thing, darling...would you be interested in fashion design? After all, this dress you've produced is magnificent. I could use an apprentice, since my sons are no longer interested." I shake my head.  
>"It's alright, but unfortunately I'm really no good at it. I've tried my hand at it before, but for some reason I'm just not that great at it. I appreciate the honor, though." She pouts a little bit.<br>"That's too bad. But if you do change your mind, my offer still stands." I nod, gathering my stuff.  
>"What kind of bra should I wear tomorrow? I know that dress is a little low cut, and I don't know what I should bring." I ask her, and she smiles.<br>"Don't worry about it. I know you're rather busty, so I'll be sure to take that into account when the schematic for the dress is given to my seamstresses. Just wear whatever you normally do, since you'll be taking it off anyway." I nod, but before stepping out of the room, she says one last thing to me.  
>"It's amazing how beautiful you are. It's nice to design a dress for someone who isn't a size six or less. It's been a while and I welcome the change. Thank you for providing me with that, darling." I blush at this.<br>"Oh no, really, it's you I should be thanking. If not for you, I'd never get to go to the dance party, nor would I look as great as I know I'm going to thanks to you. So really, thank you...I'll repay you some day, I promise." I say, bowing and stepping out of the room with butterflies in my stomach.

I have to admit, it feels good to be having a dress made just for me, and it's one I helped design. I feel like I'm on cloud nine. As girly as I usually don't act, this is certainly an occasion to break tradition, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I'm looking forward to this dance now that I actually don't completely suck at dancing and going to be wearing a gorgeous dress. It makes me giddy.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's the end of that. The chapters look so much longer on LibreOffice...on here they look so short. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it, and I can't wait for what other wonderful things you guys have to say about this story. I'm so happy that people like my stories! Not bad for not having published anything worthwhile in over a year, eh? <strong>

**Love always!**

**~B-chan**


	8. Dancing with the Host Club Part 2

**Alright! This is a long one, but it's filled with lots of wonderful things. **

**I have a lot of dedications to make. Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Im not a model Im just hot, and I love that you want to continue to review my story. That makes me so happy to hear your insight and your perspective on what you're reading. It makes me confident that later chapters will please you even more because the layers I have on Maria right now are just the beginning. She fills out more and more as the story goes on, and I think you will be very pleased with her. Thanks again for all your support and lovely reviews, they are greatly appreciated!**

**Thanks to angelmariela, intricate-bindings, and khrciaossu for favoriting and alerting my story. I'm glad you guys are interested enough to put me on an ongoing list to watch and get updates. Thank you so much for your confidence that I'll do well not to disappoint you! I look forward to what you guys have to say in the future!**

**Whew, I know this is a long author's note, but now I'm going to let you get on with the story and see what it is I'm so proud of. This is a long chapter, and came out to over 7000 words and 7 pages. I average about 5-6 pages at 3500-5000 words, so this was a long winded one for me. But it all fits into the timeline anyway. I will warn you of some OOC-ness on Kyoya's part toward the end...writing him was so hard and that was the best I could come up with. So forgive me and I hope you enjoy this wonderfully long chapter! :D**

* * *

><p>"Mari-chan~! Dance with me too!" I hear from Honey-sempai as I float across the floor with his companion. Listening to what Kyoya said yesterday has certainly paid off. This is so much easier than before, and I'm sure Mori-sempai appreciates my not stepping on his toes. Plus it's really fun to dance with someone who's experienced, because it feels like I'm floating across the floor and flying across it at the same time. Speed, accuracy, and it's so much fun! Why didn't I learn to do this years ago?<p>

Oh, right, because I'm a poor white kid. That's right, totally forgot about that...only for a moment, of course.

"Alright Honey-sempai, one moment...I'm not sure Mori-sempai wants to let me go just yet." I say, smirking up at Mori-sempai, who returns the smirk with a small one of his own. I can hear the cries and excited whispers of the girls around me. Attention is on me, and in this school attention to a commoner is hard to come by. I'd like to relish in it as long as I possibly can, because who knows when I'll get it again.

Tamaki is playing the piano, switching from tune to tune that's in a lilting, waltzing three. I'm passed along to Honey-sempai, which is certainly a challenge until the song changes. Then, I realize Tamaki's stepped in.

"I thought you were playing piano?" He laughs.  
>"My dear princess, I certainly was, but the record player will suffice. The King deserves a dance with his princess." I laugh at this as he leads, and he's even easier to dance with than Mori-sempai. It's like it comes more naturally to him. There's a huge crowd around us, but he keeps a discreet distance between us. I realize everyone keeps a discreet distance between us...so why did Kyoya press me so closely to him?<p>

Speak of the devil—an aptly chosen substitute to the 'Shadow King' –he steps in as the song changes over, and it's just like before. Our bodies pressed together, creating a pleasant friction as his smoldering eyes stare into mine. Maybe it's just my imagination, but the chemistry between us is very noticeable. I wonder if anyone else besides me sees that?

Regardless of that fact, I can't see myself in a relationship with someone like him. He's a little too self-centered for my taste. But who knows, he may yet surprise me. For now, we'll remain the friends we are, no matter how rude and manipulative we are toward each other.

He's not a bad dancer. I'd be hard pressed to find someone better among these people here. I honestly think he's the best here. But don't tell Tamaki I said that. He'd freak out for sure.

"You're doing much better today, Maria. I'm surprised you improved so quickly. Still, you need some more work." I scoff at this.  
>"Do you always have to find something wrong with what I'm doing? You can't make me feel good for even two seconds, can you?" He does one of his host smiles, which I find pleasantly attractive no matter how fake it is.<br>"How else would you get better if I don't criticize you on something?"  
>"As I recall, you just told me I need more work. That's not very specific." I say, and he chuckles a little.<br>"Work, yes, but you no longer need any training. Just practice, which I'm sure you'll get the rest of the week. Be glad the rest of the host club is more than happy to step in and dance with you. You are certainly making a lot of girls jealous of you." I shake my head.  
>"I didn't ask for it. You guys forced it upon me, remember? I simply agreed to it." I say, and he smirks in return.<p>

* * *

><p>Friday. It's already Friday. To be more specific, it's Friday afternoon, and I've been invited back to the Hitachiin mansion to get ready. My heart is pounding because I have absolutely no idea how tonight is going to turn out. There's no logical explanation for my nervousness, just that I'm a nervous wreck. Am I going to look good? Am I going to wow people? Will I step on anyone's toes?<p>

A million thoughts and not one of them sane. All baseless. But that's what happens when you're a girl. I feel like this is prom, and in a way, it kind of is. Except that I am utterly dateless thanks to the host club, not to mention my tactless misuse of manners and abrasive personality.

The socialites' words, not mine.

"Oh, Mari-chan, you shouldn't worry so much. Hikaru and I are going to make you look spectacular. So stop shaking so we can do your hair!" Kaoru implores as I sit in the dressing room, my dress hung up against the wall. I'm admiring it from afar, and the yearning to wear it mounts the longer I sit and stare at it. They remove the clip in my hair, and down I goes. I feel it fall all over my shoulders and down my back. Then, I hear the twins gasp.

"I know, it's in bad shape. Sorry about that." I say without thinking or asking why they were gasping.  
>"No, no, that's not it! What the hell do you do to it to make it so pretty? I mean, geez, any girl at school would die for this hair!" I shrug.<br>"It's always up and out of the way, so I never bother curling or straightening it. It never gets damaged because it's always up. I'm poor, so I never cut it either." I tell them, and they start running their fingers through it.  
>"It's so soft, Mari-chan. We're going to have so much fun with this."<br>"Nothing crazy guys, okay? Just simple and classic. The dress more than makes up for anything you could possibly do with my hair. Don't overdo it." I say, sitting up straight on the stool in front of the vanity. They then whirl me around, and go to town on my hair. I watch as the sun progresses farther down into the horizon, and they aren't done until the sun is nearly set.

"Do you want us to do your makeup too, Mari-chan?" I shake my head.  
>"Just leave some stuff out and I'll do it. It's no different than painting a canvas, really. I may not dress like a girl very often, but I do know how to do things. With desperate situations comes necessity." I say, but I have a feeling they aren't listening, which wouldn't surprise me in the least.<br>"Whatever, just tell us when you're done. We're going to get ready, so we'll be back when we're done." I nod to them as I start to apply makeup to my face. I notice that my glasses are sitting on the vanity, but next to them is a contacts case. I open them and see that there are, in fact, contacts in this case. Since when did they know my eyeglasses prescription? And since when did they get me contacts?

It's that damn Shadow King, I just know it. The nosy bastard.

I must admit though, I'm glad that they did it. I didn't want to wear my glasses tonight if I could avoid it. Now I just have to use extra makeup to cover the circles under my eyes.

After what feels like an eternity, I manage to apply the makeup. Looking up, I notice that it's actually quite decent. I haven't done too bad of a job. I'm sure the twins could have done better, but they've done enough. I couldn't ask them for more.

I stand from the stood, grab the dress, and slip behind the curtain of a dressing room. I dress rather slowly, not wanting to hurt this beautiful garment unworthy of my commoner hands, and it's a little difficult to get into. I reach for the zipper and only manage to get it halfway up my back before I can't get it anymore.

"Mari-chan, are you almost ready? Kyoya called us and said we need to hurry up." I step out from behind the curtain with my back to them, pulling my curly hair out of the way.  
>"Yeah, almost. Can you zip my up the rest of the way?" I don't know which one stepped forward, but as soon as that dress was zipped up, I disappeared back into the curtain to slip on my shoes. I adjust the upper part of my dress to make it more modest and to make it look better, then step out and sigh.<p>

"So, how do I look?" I ask as they turn around. I get looks of utter shock, which makes me think I did a horrible job. I cross my arms in front of me, my hands together at my waist.  
>"Is it that bad?" I ask, and Kaoru steps forward.<br>"No, no, not at all, Mari-chan! You look...I don't even know what to say." I blush a little at this.  
>"Oh...so it looks alright?" I say, averting my gaze. Next thing I know, Hikaru and Kaoru have their arms around me, Hikaru with his fingers under my chin looking at him. Kaoru has his hands on my shoulders, though since he is shorter than me now, it's a little hard for him to lift himself over my shoulder.<br>"You look quite ravishing, Mari-chan. I'm not sure we'll be able to handle seeing you in any other man's arms tonight." Kaoru gasps.  
>"Hikaru! I thought you said you would look only at me tonight!" They let me go and go into their full-on gay mode. I have to avert my eyes before my dirty Yaoi mind kicks in for me.<br>"Of course, Kaoru. I never forgot, I just...got so jealous and blinded by my lust for Mari-chan that my eyes forgot how much more in love I am with you." I walk toward the doorway.  
>"Come along when you two are done with your antics. I'm going to the car." I say, but then one of them is at each of my elbows. They escort me outside to the car and we get in. My dress, which is only bulky from knees down, rests nicely in the back of the limousine.<p>

Damn rich people and their oversized cars and houses.

* * *

><p><em>{Third person POV, Ouran Private High School, Music Room #3}<em>

When Maria and the twins arrive, they rush themselves to the club room as quickly as they can. Maria carries herself as best as she can, since the shoes she happens to be wearing are a little more dangerous than she's used to. When they arrive, the only ones in the room are Mori-sempai, Honey-sempai, and Haruhi.

"May we present the quite beautiful Mari-chan!" The twins say in unison.  
>"Oh, shut up you two! I don't need an entrance." The brunette American says with a blush painted on her face, though with makeup the effect is dimmed and looks very cute on her features. With a silver clutch purse in her hands, she steps into the room hastily before stopping in the middle of the room, away from everyone else. As she does this, the other two host club members who had until now been missing reappear.<p>

"Mari-chan...my princess! Oh, look at you, dazzling beyond perfection!" Tamaki says, down on one knee and looking ever so elegant in his white suit. He takes her finely manicured hands—done herself the night before—and kisses the knuckles. She blushes and looks away.  
>"Knock it off, all of you! This is so embarrassing..." She grumbles, crossing her arms. They all observe her, particularly a very interested spectacled boy that had just entered the room.<p>

If at any time in his life he'd thought she was beautiful—which he would openly deny that he had—now would be the time for him to admit it. The dress she was wearing was stunning on her, and it complimented her well. The deep purple satin clung to her hips as the rouging of the satin did well to hide any major body defects, of which there certainly couldn't be any. The top of her dress and the off-the-shoulder sleeves was probably the most stunning part of the dress, the sweetheart neckline almost caressing the tops of her ever ample bust, successfully concealing whatever was considered indecent and accenting all that was beautiful and downright sexy. The lavender belt just under her bust was secured into place with rhinestones and embellishments that were repeated as the dress went down her body. It fit to her frame until it got to her knees before falling away to the floor to conceal her feet.

Needless to say, she got the hearts of the entire host club—save for Haruhi—racing. The fact that she seemed to refuse any compliments made it that much more beautiful.

"Maria, you look great! That dress looks great on you." Haruhi said as she stepped forward. Maria warmed at Haruhi's sincerity, probably only because she was female and not male.  
>"Thanks, Haruhi. It's amazing, isn't it? I helped design it with the help of the twins' mother." Maria said as she twirled in place.<br>"I call first dibs on a dance, Mari-chan!" Hikaru shouted as everyone got ready to leave. She nodded as she went with them to the ballroom, which was already packed with people. She waved herself off in order to enter separately from the host club. It seemed only right. As she entered, she was glad to go unnoticed.

However, that didn't remain the case once the party got underway.

* * *

><p>"Miss, what's your name?" I smile at yet another boy who comes to take me to the dance floor. By now my feet are killing me. I don't want to dance anymore, not for at least the next ten to fifteen minutes. I've managed to dance with everyone in the host club except for Tamaki, Mori-sempai, and Kyoya. I even danced with Haruhi, who complimented me on my dancing. I must not be horrible if I'm getting offers left and right. That or it's the amount of cleavage this dress allows. Either way I'm tired and don't want to dance for a while.<p>

"I'm Maria." I say, and he smiles, offering his hand.  
>"Would you honor me with a dance?" I put up a hand and smile.<br>"I'm sorry, as much as I would love to, I'm taking a break. I've been dancing nonstop since this party started." I said, and he blushed a little.  
>"Oh, I'm sorry! Forgive my insensitivity! Miss Maria, would you honor me with your next dance?" I sigh a little to myself, and just as I go to decline his offer, someone does it for me.<br>"I'm sorry, kind sir, but it seems this beautiful princess has already given me the next dance. She will have to kindly decline your invitation." I look up and see the shaggy blond hair of Tamaki. I'll have to thank him later, that's for sure.  
>"Oh, alright, Tamaki-sempai. I understand." And with that, the boy leaves. I sigh as Tamaki sits next to me, taking my hand.<p>

"You look so exhausted, princess. You should really pace yourself. After all, you still owe me, Mori-sempai, and Kyo-kun a dance." I laugh at the nickname he has for Kyoya, but rush it off as we continue to speak.  
>"Yes, I suppose, but I was just too nice. Once I started getting offers, I couldn't just say no...I don't know what's wrong with me. I should have been more choosy." I said, and he smiles as he squeezes my hand.<br>"Don't worry about it princess. So, are you up for another dance yet?" I sigh.  
>"I suppose. My feet are ruined for the night anyway." I say, standing and walking elegantly with Tamaki to the dance floor. He whisks me away across the floor, and for a few moments I can forget about my feet hurting and enjoy the feeling of floating across a floor. I lose myself in my dance with Tamaki so much that I don't even notice Mori-sempai coming up behind me until he steals me from Tamaki. I laugh at the dejected look on Tamaki's face as he retreats.<p>

"He looks so upset, Mori-sempai!" I say to him, and he just smirks.  
>"He's danced with you for three dances." He says, and I cock an eyebrow. That long? The sneaky bastard. Nevertheless, I didn't notice, so he did a good job.<br>"Oh really? Well, if it helps, I didn't notice. Think you can top that?" He smirks, which is enough to say that yes, he can.

And he certainly does.

Five dances later, I'm again on my butt on the sidelines. I have a drink in my hands and I've managed to escape to the outdoors, where the wind is blowing and helping to cool me off and relax me. I'm glad that I'm in the dark, because the last thing I want is for anyone else to find me. I sit for a few moments and contemplate my situation, as you often do when you're alone in a new situation you've never been in before. Seeing as I've been thrust into this world of lavish trivialities and great wealth, I see it only fit to contemplate my new place in this otherwise unreachable society.

I honestly hope you'll find all of the sarcasm. That was my intention.

I just can't help feeling out of place. Among all of these people who have more wealth than they could ever possibly know what to do with, I stand alone. Haruhi, forced into this life due to circumstance, is even outside of my small, exclusive circle. I am voluntarily putting myself in a position that one day could be swept out from under me to send me crash landing back into the harsh reality of the world. Yet I'm taking that chance by stepping into this limelight and taking the opportunity to do something else. I don't want to be a normal, middle-class girl. That's not me, and that's never what I wanted to be. My mother has always told me to be what I wanted to be, yet I know more about what I don't want to be than what I do. I don't want to spend my life alone. I don't want to be without friends. I don't want to be poor. I don't want to be average. I want to stand out, I want to be who I want to be. I don't want to be looked down upon by these people anymore. I know people inside that ballroom now, know how giving they can be, and even if it's only been a few weeks, I feel like I can trust them. I want to trust them. They are important to me. Having friends...it's a blessing, one I've never felt comfortable appreciating before. I'd like for it to stay that way, no matter what.

I certainly don't want to go back home, and I don't want to give this up. After all of the things I've experienced with these people, I want to be with them. They mean the world to me now, probably because I've had little to nothing for so long, and because of that, it has taken almost no time at all for me to become attached. If I had to let go, now would be the time, because beyond this, I could never let go. Never in a million years would I ever be satisfied if these people weren't part of my life. Maybe that's my naivete talking, or just my small wishes as an immature teenager, but whatever the case, these people are important to me. I will hold onto them as long as possible, if forever, as long as they will still have me and welcome me with their wide open arms.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect to find you sitting out here. You're the life of the party, it seems." I hear that voice...the smooth and suave one that haunts me even when he's not there. The one that sends chills down my spine that I can't quite describe as good or bad. I set down the empty glass that had once contained the punch I'd been drinking, which I had to have downed at some point during my thoughts.

"I had to get away...too many people trying to steal me away. I'm taking a break." I say simply, putting my head in my hands. I guess I didn't look too happy, because he kneels down in front of me to come face to face with me. Apparently he wants something.

"Is there any particular reason you're groveling in front of me? You don't seem like the type, Kyoya." I say apathetically, sarcasm dripping off of every word. He smirks at this.  
>"Not that I'm groveling, Maria, but you don't seem like you're having a particularly good time. If your face is any indication, I'd say you're actually quite upset." I shake my head.<br>"No, I'm not upset about the party or anything. Nothing like that at all. I'm just...thinking. My thinking face isn't exactly pleasant." I say, averting my gaze from him. He doesn't move, doesn't speak, and only rests his hand on mine to get my attention.  
>"Come. You need to come back to the party, and as I recall, you still owe me a dance." I nod as he rises, pulling me up with him. Never releasing my hand, he gently guides me into the dance hall as the next song starts up.<p>

The familiar closeness of the past few days is a comfort to me. I'm close to him, closer than I have been with anyone else. Discreet distance thrown to the wind, with caution at it's side, seems to be the theme. I've never seen this from Kyoya, and he hardly seems the type to get so passionately involved with someone. I hardly think I'm so special as to deserve his attention, but I can't help wondering what it is that goes through his mind when he looks at me. What does he see? A nuisance? A pain? A love interest? I'm sure he's already clearly aware of how good the chemistry between us is. As much I loathe to admit it, I am attracted to him in the smallest of ways. I aim to pry out of him as much as I can, because he's the most interesting to me out of the entire host club. None of them really know me, and I don't really know them, but there is one thing I know. There is a bond between them all, something that holds them together so tightly, and will never break them apart. When I figure out what that is, I think I'll understand friendship. Up until this point, friendship has been foreign to me. No one's intellect has come close enough and no one has bothered to try and accept all of me. I can't help but hope that this experience will be the biggest difference and most influential turn in my life. I accept some people in my past, back home, simply because I don't want to spend my entire life all alone. But still, they could never fill that void of wanting someone who could outsmart you or stimulate good conversation. Because of that, no one's gotten close enough. I made that mistake once, and I won't ever do it again. Not unless it's someone I trust so wholly and completely that there's no way they'd ever betray me. Saying that is easier than finding it, though, that's for sure.

I need something, anything, to pry me away from the life I've lived previously. I will never go back to that person I was a few weeks ago. Never, so long as I live.

"What is it you're thinking about in there? You're unusually quiet. Not that I mind, but I expected some kind of tongue-lashing from you." I raise an eyebrow at him quizzically.  
>"Why? The only reason I've ever lashed my tongue out at you before is because you either pissed me off or dared to argue with me. Just because I don't act like a girl all of the time doesn't mean I don't have any tact. I am a girl, whether you realize it or not. Sometimes I wonder if that ever occurs to you." I say, and he smirks in return.<br>"I have no doubts about your gender, Maria. But tell me this...you were upset earlier. What were you thinking about? My curiosity is getting the best of me." He adds the last part quickly, as if he feels he must justify his asking me a question. I shrug.  
>"If you want me to be honest, then I will. If you want me to be tactful, I will. Which would you prefer?" He smirks.<br>"Honesty is a quality I've come to respect when it comes from you." He says, and I reply with my own smirk. Then I sigh.

"The gist of it is this: I am taking advantage of all of you and your hospitality. You can all pretend that it's really no big deal, and even if it really is no big deal, it doesn't change the fact that I, a poor person from America, am taking advantage of your positions. In reality it upsets me a lot to see that I've stooped so low, letting go of my ego and my pride to let you guys help me. For whatever reason, I've decided that I no longer want to be what I was when I came to Japan. I don't recall if I ever told you this, but the reason I came here was because I wanted to change myself. I hated myself for the way I was—in some cases, I still do. I wanted to change, to grow, to have something I've never had before. That wish and desire has made me realize that I...want to be around you. All of you. I've never had real friends, and I've always lived the humdrum life of a typical lonely middle-class teenager. I wanted to be something different than that, and I had to do anything to change the way I was living then. So now, I'm here, and I'm allowing myself to succumb to whatever it is you and Tamaki lace together. And I don't mind. As long as you, Tamaki, Haruhi, and the rest of the host club are there with me, I don't mind."

Between us, the silence is immense. I feel I've said too much, but it was all I could think of. The music has stopped, but our dancing has not. The music starts up again and we continue dancing, and it's not until halfway through the dance that he finally says something back.

"Maria, I think you're starting to realize the steps you're taking. I told you that with tact, manners, and some training, you could become a much more appropriate lady. Now you have your own motivation for these goals. If you still want to continue to pursue and experience the possibilities of our world, staying by our side is the best way to do just that. I think you'll find taking favors from the rich that you can trust is more beneficial than anything you could find in a middle-class society. If you want to change, you're certainly taking the right steps. Take some time, and little by little you will change. Just in the past few weeks you've changed. You've grown, and you've changed the lives of those of us in the host club."  
>"Even you, Kyoya?"<br>"...Yes, even me. Don't get me wrong, you still have a way to go before you start to impress me, but there is one thing you have managed to do that no other woman has." I cock an eyebrow at this.  
>"And what's that, exactly?" His gaze averts mine.<br>"You've managed to—how shall I say it—take my breath away. I've seen many beautiful women in my life, but never have I seen one quite so modestly beautiful as yourself. You made me realize that understated beauty is the best of them all. And that, Maria, is the truth. You're the first woman besides my sister that I will honestly comment on when it comes to appearance. You should feel honored." I can't help but feel irked. As much as I want to find his statements flattering and romantic, the last two sentences of his statement killed it for me.

But, if it's all that I'm going to get from him, then I'll take it.

"Well, as much as I'd like to say 'aww, that's so sweet of you', I'm afraid your last two sentences totally killed it. You sounded so much like an arrogant ass." I say, and he simply gives me a host smile.  
>"Yes, but you can't deny that you felt very happy that I said it at all. Your facial features will always betray you, Maria, because you are emotionally expressive." I roll my eyes as we continue to dance, and as the beautiful scene between the two lovers unfolds—the real point of the night—I couldn't help laughing when Haruhi's first kiss was stolen by a girl, all thanks to Tamaki's klutziness.<p>

And the whole time, Kyoya stood at my side with my hand on his arm, which, oddly enough, just felt so right to me. I trust him more now, more than anyone else. He really is a good friend. I can see why Tamaki puts so much faith in him. He's truly reliable, dependable, and witty as hell, which is just so damn attractive.

The night ends beautifully, and as much as I wished that it could have ended a bit more romantically for me, my only thoughts are on the beautiful days ahead of me. Whatever awaits in my future will be something that I create for myself without the help of anyone else. I look forward to the day that I can hold my head high without any regrets, with people at my side who support me and love me just for being who I am.

Until that day comes, I will never stop working hard, even if I die trying.

* * *

><p><strong>Haha, I can't help laughing at this ending because of how the next chapter starts. This ending is so nice and blissful, and peaceful, but I feel horrible about killing it in the next chapter. Oh well, I don't mind that so much because I wanted the point of Kyoya and Maria's relationship to be so much of a rollercoaster that they end up getting angry and fed up. I have to let the tension build, though my sibling keeps telling me how much she hates my character in some ways in later chapters. I'll leave that up for you guys to decide. As always, thank you so much for reading. I'm updating this at almost 2 AM my time, which is Pacific time, so some of you are getting an update at 3-5 AM your time. Eesh, I say. But that's what happens when I studying math all afternoon and make myself take a break...by updating! So yes, I've said enough, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed what you read and will tell me what you thought. I love the comments!<strong>

**All my love!**

**~B-chan**


	9. And They're At It Again

**Alright! Chapter nine, here we come! This one is so long...but it fits into the story well.**

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to two more people who put me on their favorites/alerts list. Thank you so much LunarMagick and PuckThePuppy for adding me and continuing to read my story. I appreciate it so much! Now I can only as to know what it is you love about this story so much, which I have a feeling will come with time as long as I continue to please you.**

**So, chapter nine is here...so fast. I have maybe two more chapters written, but I hit a bit of a roadblock that I hopefully got through alright. Nevertheless the next few chapters may be a bit rocky and not really go anywhere, only refer to what may end up happening later on. But I'm coming up on a great part to write, and then...ROMANCE!**

**Yes, I can't wait to start writing some romance. I've been waiting, and in the meantime been satisfying my cravings by writing little snippets and then deleting them. Nothing to do with the story, which is finally pretty much writing itself.**

**So without further ado here is chapter nine! Any yes, Maria is supposed to be this annoying and immature on purpose. She'll get better, promise.**

* * *

><p>"You know, if you weren't so much of a jerk, maybe we'd get along a whole lot better."<br>"Maybe if you'd have some tact and manners, I wouldn't feel the need to be so forward with you."

Tamaki and the other hosts stare as the argument ensues, and the twins put in their two cents as the two continue their argument.

"You know...they sound like an old married couple with the way they fight." They say, unheard to the said couple. Tamaki sighs romantically, flowers and sparkles appearing around him.  
>"Ah, the wonders of young love. I see wedding bells in the future!"<br>"Yeah, in your dreams." Haruhi deadpans, though inside she's thinking the same thing.

"You're an ass! That's it, don't talk to me anymore."  
>"You are the one who engaged in our exchange. I was simply—"<br>"I said, don't talk to me! Ugh, you stupid jerk!"  
>"That's mature."<br>"More so than you! And I told you to shut up!"  
>"You know, if you would stop regressing for a moment, everything would sort itself out."<p>

However, the American brunette had turned her back and walked to her corner by the window, irritated as usual with the young man. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but today she was especially upset because of the phone call she had gotten yesterday—Sunday—from her sister. She hadn't slept at all the night before thanks to it, and worry was all that was on her mind at the moment. Dealing with this jerk hadn't helped in the least. How their quarrel had started, she couldn't exactly remember, but it had something to do with how she'd walked in that day. Dressed as usual in paint-stained sweats and a stained T-shirt, he'd made a comment she hadn't appreciated, about the 'image' of the host club. She had gotten offended, defensive, and due to the night before, her temper was even shorter than usual. The romantic chemistry that had occurred between them on Friday had been killed the moment she'd walked in today.

She sat angrily in the corner for an hour, furiously scribbling and drawing her next project. When the rough draft was done, she escaped the host club to go and find sanctuary in the fourth art room. There, she began using oil pastels to draw the rough of her painting. When finished, she started on the actual paint. Unknown to her, night had fallen outside and she was still working. Her mind was racing, and she couldn't get it to shut off. She used her painting to distract her from the thoughts plaguing her mind. She didn't leave the room until the painting was finished. When she left, locking the door, the entire school was dark. She pulled out her cell phone and checked the time.

* * *

><p>"Nine? Really? I can't believe it's that late...I must have been really stressed out. It's been a while since I pulled one of those." I said, exiting the grounds of the school. I gulp, seeing as it's nearly pitch black outside.<p>

Did I mention I have a phobia of the dark? I didn't? Well, now you know. And right now I'm scared. So scared, in fact, that I can't even think of how mad or upset I am feeling on the inside. No, the adrenaline is pumping and I am thoroughly scared shitless. Coward that I am, however, I know that home isn't far away. I keep checking behind me so no one comes up behind me, and it's a relief when I see that no one is there. But then, as I turn the corner, I see behind me someone in dark clothing. It's a little over a block to my apartment, so it's plenty of time for him to get me. I speed up, but he continues to get closer. My breathing is faster, more shallow, and I can't seem to get myself to calm down.

"Hey there, lady. Say, would you mind some company? It's kinda dark." The smell of alcohol is strong, and it's absolutely atrocious. I try hard to keep from throwing up all over the place.  
>"No, but thanks anyway. I'm almost home." I say, walking even faster.<br>"Where ya goin'? Come back 'ere." He says, grabbing my arm. I wrench it from his grasp and he gets more aggressive.  
>"Dude, I'm not interested! Get away from me, will you? I need to get home! Go take your drunk ass somewhere else!" I shout as he comes at me again, trying my best to still make it home.<br>"Hun, I ain't drunk, and I certainly ain't in the mood to fight. So c'mon...I'll treat ya real nice and gentle. Yer the exotic type...gotta be a real screamer."

Whatever he's talking about, I don't want to know, but he's creeping me out. I need to get home, and fast.

"You know, I told you to knock it off, so—hey! That's my stuff! Stop!" He's grabbed my things and thrown them to the ground, leaving me without anything in my hands to defend myself with. God help me...what the hell am I going to do?

What did the Marines teach us back in 9th grade? What self-defense did they teach? Oh, right, they only taught the stuff on how to deal with someone grabbing you from behind. They didn't teach you how to beat the shit out of someone.

Well, damn. That sucks. What the hell am I going to do now?

"C'mere, hun. Yer nice and perty...I like ya. Yer gonna be hella fun when I gotcha screamin'." He says, sending chills up my spine. I shake my head.  
>"Get the fuck away from me! I told you to leave me alone, and if you don't, I am totally gonna go Miss Congeniality on your ass!" I threaten, but he just laughs. It's the best I've got, and in reality I've got nothing to back it up. I'm just hoping he believes me.<br>"C'mon, hun, don't fight me. I ain't the fightin' type. I'll be nice and slow, nice and gentle, if ya just come quietly. I won't hafta hurt ya if ya come quietly." I wish I had a gun right now. I would totally go Sandra Bullock on his ass if it weren't for the fact that I lack a gun and police training.

Dammit, now I wish I would have taken Jiu Jitsu when I'd had the chance.

"Fuck you, alright? Go fuck yourself! I am not interested, so leave me alone or else I'll..." I see someone behind him, but he doesn't seem to notice.  
>"That's ain't gonna work on me, hun. Gonna hafta do better'n that." He says, and for once, I am relieved to see the spectacled host from school.<br>"You know, this young lady has told you over and over again that she's not interested. She's asked you to leave her alone, and yet you continue to ignore her. Would you explain to me why that is?" I relax a little, but I'm ready to go at this creep if he decides to pull a fast one on Kyoya. I may not be trained, but I am strong and I will lay him out with a half-assed punch. As drunk as he is, it wouldn't take much. And it would certainly make me feel better.  
>"Huh? Who the hell're you?" He pushes up his glasses.<br>"I happen to be a close friend of this young lady. Would you happen to know that she's 16? Technically, that makes you a pedophile and a creep."  
>"I asked who the hell're you! You gonna answer me, pretty boy, or are ya gonna stand there like some uppity snob?"<p>

That was the only time I would agree with the drunk man.

"My name is of no concern to you. However, if you don't leave now...are you familiar with the Otori Private Police Force?" The man, who is clearly not with it, suddenly sobers up.  
>"I happen to be very well acquainted with that military force. I don't want to have to call them if I don't have to. They get quite upset when called upon to deal with trivial things such as this. So, I'll give you one more chance. Leave, and you go free, no harm done. Don't heed my words, and...well, we'll deal with that when we come to it won't we?" The evil, malicious look on Kyoya's face makes me shiver. He is damn scary when he's serious. He looks like some terror from a bad office horror movie. It's scary as hell, but I'm glad he's on my side.<br>"Y'know, I wasn't that interested anyway...better head home before the wife yells at me..." And with that, the man hobbles off past Kyoya, who sidesteps to avoid touching the wasted man. I grab my things, turn and leave hastily. I don't stop until I get to my apartment. As I reach for my keys, I hear footsteps on the stairs up here that makes me jump.

"Oh, it's just you. You scared me." I say as Kyoya comes into view, a hand on my heart. I manage to find my key when he stops next to me.  
>"You know, you shouldn't be walking around here so late at night. Regardless of the fact that Ouran is so close, there are still those who would wander here unannounced." I glare up at him.<br>"Since when are you one to lecture me? What the hell are you doing here this time of night anyway? It's almost quarter to ten for Christ's sake!" I say as I slip the key into the deadbolt. I turn it and, with a click, pop open the door.  
>"It just so happens that I left an event rather late and was on my way home when I saw that man following you. I felt it only right to step in and help you. After all, what would Tamaki think if he'd found out I'd driven past without a second glance? Besides, who knows what that man would have done to you if you hadn't managed to drive him off on your own."<br>"_I'm perfectly capable of driving off a pervert on my own..." _ I mumble to myself in English, leaving the door open as I go inside.  
>"What was that?" He asks me, but I shake my head.<br>"You might as well come in. You're already at my door." I say, throwing my stuff down onto the small couch in the bare living room. I have a TV and PS2 for my DVDs, and I see that my stack of discs is next to it. I sigh heavily and turn to face my new guest.  
>"Want something to drink? I have tea." I say, and he simply nods as he sits on the couch next to my bag, arms and legs crossed.<p>

Damn rich snob.

After a couple of moments I come back into the room with tea. It's English tea, not Japanese, so he'll have to deal.

"You like it straight, right? I don't have anything else to add to it besides lemon and honey." He simply takes the cup and drinks from it slowly. I sigh and rise again from my seat. I go to the kitchen and set about making myself some dinner, and to be honest, it's mostly because I don't want to be around him. As much as I should thank him and apologize, the thought turns my stomach and leaves a bad taste in my mouth, though I know I'm going to have to do it anyway.  
>"Maria?" I hear his inquisitive tone and walk back to the living room.<br>"What in the world is this?" He asks, and I see he's holding up one of my Junjou Romantica books. I see that he's taken a book off of a pile I have next to the TV out of curiosity. I bolt over to him and take it, a blush on my face, and pick up the rest of the pile.

"Oh, that's just...silly stuff. You don't want to read it, trust me."  
>"It's what they call 'manga', correct?"<br>"Yes, but it's not the kind that's for little kids or for teenagers. Oh, no, not at all. And it's in English, so you may have some problems reading it if you aren't fluent." I say, setting them into the cardboard box that has the rest of my Yaoi collections in it from home. Courtesy of my mother, mind you. Regardless of the fact that it's rated 18+, I read it anyway. As long as it doesn't leave my house and nobody catches me, who's to know?  
>"I can read English just fine. What is it, specifically?" I shake my head.<br>"Like I said, you don't want to read it. Just...go with it, okay? Don't look at anything in that box. You won't want to. I promise. Now, are you hungry? I'm sure I could whip up something." I say, and he shakes his head.  
>"No, the stench of that man alone was enough to ruin my appetite for the evening." He says, and I shrug. Instant ramen it is.<p>

After five minutes I am again in the living room sitting with my legs under the coffee table as I try to avoid his gaze. I don't want to have to say sorry to him. I really don't want to. I don't want to thank him either, but that's a whole lot easier than apologizing. I could have been more tactful and rational, but I wasn't. Shoot me, alright?

"Kyoya...why did you decide to follow me here, anyway?" I ask, and he shrugs.  
>"I was interested to see if you lived any differently than Haruhi. The differences aren't big, but you certainly have a...bareness to your space."<br>"I moved in here shortly after New Years. So I'm still moving in, in a way. I don't plan on getting too comfortable. I have to go back for a while during summer break."  
>"So you don't plan on staying in Japan?" I shake my head.<br>"No, it's not that. I'm planning on staying in Japan. But I don't want to have to unpack, pack, then unpack again. I'm lazy and I'd rather avoid doing any unnecessary work. Plus I want to move from this apartment soon, once I get a steady stream of commissions going." I say, consuming more of the preservative-packed, calorie-crammed meal in front of me. He nods.  
>"Why do you want to move?" I cock my eyebrow.<br>"Why so many questions? I thought you were mad at me."  
>"If I remember correctly, Maria, you are the one that was mad at me. After all, you are the one who started shouting at me."<br>"You insulted me! I just...ugh, there's so many reasons why, but it doesn't matter. I yelled because I blew a fuse. I have a short temper and it was even shorter today." I say, and the silence that fills the room is deafening. Absolutely still.

"Is there any particular reason you were so short of control?"  
>"Tiredness. There are some...issues back home. It hasn't been a good year so far, let's just say that."<br>"Your family in America, yes? Is there a problem with you staying here?" I hesitate.

Should I tell him? Or shouldn't I? Does it really matter if he knows? I can't exactly call Haruhi to talk...it's too late. I don't have anyone to talk to about this, and if I don't say something, it will bottle up and explode like it did today. Before I can stop it, I set down my fork and lean my arm on the table, my head in my hand, looking at him as I explain.

"My sister called me last night from a pay phone. Apparently things at home are bad. I suppose I should first tell you a little bit about...why I'm here, and why I so eagerly left in the middle of my junior year of high school. It would set the scene, if you know what I mean. It'll take some time...do you mind?" I ask, only being courteous because it is so late. He shrugs.  
>"It makes no difference to me. I'm curious, and it would be nice to know why you were so quick to lose you temper when I commented on the fact that your choice of dress is...not exactly what we expect from a member of the host club."<br>"Do you honestly think I have the money to...ugh, whatever, I'll get to that later. So anyway." And I begin.

"At the end of last school year—which was May for me—I got the chance to do an art expo at the end of the year. It was held in Los Angeles and was supposed to be a huge deal. Works of art that I had done from the time I was ten and up were put on display. Paintings, sketches, clothing designs, clay, pastels, you name it, I had done it. The diversity struck a chord with a lot of people, and they really liked it. One man in particular—the chairman of Ouran Academy—was impressed with my work and purchased some of my best pieces. Little did I know that it wasn't for his personal collection, but for the art department at Ouran. They reviewed it, and on my 16th birthday I got a letter in the mail from Ouran. They said that they wanted to invite me to visit their campus during the fall, which I ended up doing in early September. With school in full swing, I got an idea of the life here, and at the time I was really indifferent. The idea of being around a bunch of rich kids didn't sound too appealing even if some of the best art teachers in the country are employed there. When expenses came around...I was certain that I wouldn't be able to attend. But then...something happened at home that...changed my mind." I said, averting my gaze from him. He didn't say anything, so I continued.  
>"I started talking to some of the accounting and financial people here at Ouran, and they said that if I sent them my transcripts they'd look it over and see what they could do. Well, I did that, and by November I had an answer that changed everything. That was how I ended up with scholarships, and how I ended up in your class." I say.<p>

"So, tell me exactly how it is you ended up in our class? You miss half of the day as it is...how can you still be passing?" He asks, which is a legitimate question. I do find it creepy that he notices my absences, considering how unimportant I am to him and his whole life spectrum.  
>"I aced the English entrance test here, so I don't have to take any of the English courses. I was put in art studio by myself instead during the last half of the day. That's why I'm gone after lunch. I'm in the art room." I say. He nods, and I continue my story.<p>

"So anyway, to make a long story a little shorter, my father and I don't get along. We never have and probably never will. I ended up coming here because I wanted to leave him. I love my mother and my sisters, but it just wasn't enough to stay at home. It's not so bad for the others in my family...or at least, I thought so. But he just...doesn't get me. At home we're considered normal, average, and we've had to move all over the country because he can't keep his mouth shut at work long enough for us to stay in one place. We had recently moved again when I decided to seek other options." I say. He nods, and I continue.

"So, to explain my attitude and temper this morning, I got a call from my sister last night from a pay phone. Apparently she'd run away from home because of my father. He'd been harassing her the same way he had been harassing me when I had been at home. Calling her stupid, telling her she was never going to be anything, that she would end up married and pregnant at a young age, and all that jazz. The same level of harassment, just different topics. My entire life he's told me that I can't go anywhere as an artist. I can't be anything but a washout and a waste, that I'd waste my entire life living in their house and that he would kick me out before too long and blah blah blah. Apparently she wants...Tori, my sister, wants to come out here and see if she can go to Ouran as well next fall. She doesn't want to be at home anymore either. I...used the money from my last commission to buy her a round trip plane ticket. She's coming to Japan next weekend. And it's because of my father. My mother was distraught when she found out that Tori had run from home because of my father, and when she finds out that Tori is going to be leaving for who knows how long to come here to Japan, well...I can't say that I'm too happy about it. To think that my father is terrorizing my family because he hates his job and has always hated his job and his life...it makes me sick. So..." I get ready to say the rest, sighing.  
>"Kyoya, I'm sorry for the way I acted, how upset I got. Just because I was lacking sleep and stressing out over my sister doesn't mean that I should have snapped the way I did. I...had a lapse in judgment. I hope you'll forgive me."<p>

The silence between us lasts some time, and I have to keep from looking at him. I just can't do it. Not until he says it's okay.

"...How did those words taste coming out of your mouth?" He asks, and I look up to see him smirking. I smirk in return.  
>"...Like vinegar. But it was necessary. It was my fault, although...I can explain very easily why I dress the way I do."<br>"Really? Enlighten me."

"The money I got from my commission was going to go toward new clothes, as well as a uniform if I could manage it. But I wear clothes like this because I am a painter. It's not exactly the smartest idea to get oils and paint all over myself wearing the uniform...not to mention how God-awful that horrific thing is. My normal attire is actually much more fashionable than these rags. I don't get to wear them, though, because all I do is draw and paint. So you'll probably never see me in a dress or a nice shirt or anything. I don't wear them to paint. Plain and simple." I say. He smirks, nodding.  
>"Well, I appreciate and accept your apology, Maria. Though a simple explanation would have sufficed. You gave the entire club a good scare." I nod.<br>"I know. I should have said something. My bad. Oh, and sorry about all my language earlier. I'm not normally such a violent speaker, but that guy...yeesh. Completely wasted, perverted, and just downright dirty. Awful." I say, shivering and finishing off my meal. He chuckles.  
>"Oh, I've come to expect the language. Though hearing a woman say them is quite an experience. It's not everyday that I find someone as openly emotional as you are, Maria."<br>"You said that my outward expressions betray me. It's not something I haven't heard before. As apathetic as I act, once I get to know someone and get comfortable, that goes away. It is, even now." I say, standing to take my things to the kitchen. I go for my tea cup, then his hesitantly. Instead, my hand is stolen and a kiss placed on it. I have to hold my breath to keep from screaming in embarrassment.

Dammit, why do they all do that? I don't understand!

"Why do you and Tamaki do that? Why does everyone act that way around me? I don't understand!" I say through gritted teeth, pulling my hand away and taking everything to the kitchen to avoid letting him see my blush. I don't want to have to admit that I actually like it when they do that. I can't let them know that my inner otaku squeals in delight. That would just be...totally wrong, and such a mood killer.  
>"I'm serious! Why do you guys do that? I don't get the fascination with kissing girls' hands! If you knew of half of the crap that covers my hand in a day, you'd be afraid of poisoning yourself to death." I say, but he just chuckles and stands.<br>"I can assure you, Maria, that it is simply the way a gentleman is supposed to act when he is with a woman, particularly a beautiful one, to let her know what he thinks of her. As tactless, tasteless, rude, arrogant, apathetic, and annoying as you are, I do have to give you some credit."  
>"Any more words you can throw in there? And you don't have to give me any credit. You just choose to."<br>"My point being that to not give you any credit would certainly be a waste. I give you credit because you may not realize it, but you are very manipulative, intelligent, and analytical. It takes many people a great deal of time to ever get a glimpse of what I'm really like, and yet you seem to be able to do it with ease. In due time I have a feeling you'll begin to see the truth behind some of the facades I pull." I cock an eyebrow.  
>"Facades, huh? Well, I look forward to it, then. It'd be nice to see the truth behind that icy wall you have. After all, I still think you're an incredibly nice and sweet person underneath the hardness. Why you're so cold and evil is still beyond me, but eventually—through you or Tamaki—I will find out why that is, so then I can insult you for how much of an idiot you are. It's only fair considering how much trouble you've caused me. An eye for an eye, as the Old Testament says." I say, crossing my arms and staring him down with a smirk. He only returns it through those cold, dark, gray and purple hued eyes.<p>

Eyes that make you drown the moment you stare into them. Eyes that make my heart race.

"I look forward to watching you attempt to get under my skin. It will be most interesting to watch you fail." I grin, then laugh.  
>"Oh, and before I forget, thanks for your help tonight. As sure as I am that I could have handled that guy, having someone else there really made me feel better. So besides the fact that you are a complete creep and stalker, thanks anyway." He shakes his head at this.<br>"As flattering as that statement could have been, you could have left the last sentence out. You didn't have to say it." I laugh.  
>"Yeah, but it was funny huh?" He just stares at me.<p>

Dammit, he didn't get the reference. Stupid deprived rich kid.

"Anyway, it is getting late, and we do have class tomorrow. So I'll call my driver and take my leave of your home."  
>"I don't mind you coming at all. It wasn't as horrific as I thought the experience would be. After hearing Haruhi describe your first visit to her home, I thought things would be worse."<br>"You do realize that Tamaki and the twins are not here. If they were here things would certainly be worse off." I nod.  
>"Yes, that is true. Most of her complaints were about Tamaki, which is understandable. God, he reminds me of my sister, just more..." I'm searching for the word, but can't think of it.<br>"More...annoying?" I laugh.  
>"Yeah, that would be it. Tori is more tolerable, she's just so boy crazy that half the time I want to strangle her. She's one year younger than me and twice as boy crazy. Her hormones are wild and crazy." He smirks.<br>"And yours aren't? You are a walking pheromone...you do realize that, don't you?" I cock an eyebrow.  
>"A walking pheromone? How so? See, okay, I don't get this. All of you in the host club say this, that, and the other about me. Beautiful, pretty, blah blah blah. You know, that kind of stuff is unnecessary. Save it for the ladies."<br>"Do you not find us sincere then, Maria?" I shake my head.  
>"Of course not! They're the same things you say to your guests. As nice as the self-esteem boosting is, it's not needed. I just get all embarrassed and frustrated. It's better just to leave that for your guests." He laughs at this.<br>"You really are one for modesty, aren't you?"  
>"Not modesty, just honesty." I say, and with that I escort him out of my apartment.<p>

Whatever becomes of this crazy life of mine, who knows, but one thing's for sure...I don't want to lose anyone that's in it. I like them all, hold them dear to my heart, and appreciate everything they do for me...even if they do annoy the hell out of me.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, so that's the end. Yes, Maria is confusing and annoying. Even to me. I sometimes wish she would just leave me in peace, but she's in the back of my head almost every day. Writing about her keeps me sane.<strong>

**So I hope you enjoyed this, and hopefully her rollercoaster attitude won't turn you off too early. She mellows here pretty soon, I promise. Give me another 4-8 chapters and I promise she will be much better. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!**


	10. Enter Tori

**OH MY GOSH I AM SOOOOOOO HAPPY!**

**You all are so amazing! I love you guys so much.**

**So I go to my email, and guess what? I've got three reviews, three favorites, and two alerts. That's more than I've ever gotten at one time! EVER!**

**So I'm dedicating this chapter to all of you. Thank you Im not a model Im just hot, LunarMagick, and EowynAhsokaLover for reviewing. You all are so sweet and so kind, and I appreciate all of the feedback. PLEASE KEEP IT COMING! Thank you and I love you :)**

**Thank you also to Draco MalfoyGirl 16 for favoriting this. Thank you again to EowynAhsokaLover and LunarMagick for favorites and alerts. I love them so much, if I could better express this than in words on paper, I would be squealing/giggling/crying/other miscellaneous activities. That's how awesome you guys make me feel. **

**Here's chapter ten, marking my debut into the double digits. And we haven't even gotten to the romance! I'm surprised and proud of myself for that. So thank you again, enjoy this chapter, and please continue to let me know what you think. It's all wonderful no matter what form it comes in!**

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><p>"<em>Maria! Oh my God, I've missed you!"<em> Shouts my sister in English as I stand in the terminal, waiting for her.  
>"Tori...Japanese, please. While you're here, you need to speak Japanese." She gives me a look, but smoothly switches over to Japanese.<br>"Alright, alright...idiot. I've got my baggage, so let's go!" She says, and I turn and lead her out of the airport. Just as I get outside, I remember that I got a ride here from that ridiculous host that I half the time can't stand. He's standing next to his limo, arms crossed, and I know that Tori's going to have so many questions. I just hope she doesn't say anything inappropriate.

"Oh my God, Maria, is that...is that our ride? The driver's so hot!" I shake my head.  
>"That's a friend of mine, not the driver. The driver's inside the car." Her eyes bug.<br>"You have friends, Maria? I'm so proud of you! And he's hot, too! Is he rich?"  
>"No, Tori, he just rented this limousine out of his ass." She giggles.<br>"So he's hot, rich, and he's your friend? That won't last long. Once he founds out how much of a romantic creep you are he'll high-tail it out of there." I roll my eyes...that's so typical of her. She says that about every hot guy that's my friend.  
>"No, Tori, it's not like that. God, you've just gotten here and I already want to send you home." I say as we approach the car. He straightens, steps aside, and pulls open the car door for my sister as I grab her suitcase and put it in the trunk. I slip in after her, and Kyoya follows right after.<p>

"Tori, this is Kyoya. Kyoya, this is my sister, Tori." I say, introducing her quickly. He smiles, takes her hand, and just as I'm thinking he's going to kiss it, he simply shakes it instead.

Weird. I've always thought that the Japanese hated shaking hands...though we are sitting down, so he can't exactly bow. Fair enough.

"It's nice to meet you, Kyoya! I hope my sister isn't too much of a pain. She gets that way when she's in a new place." He chuckles.  
>"Oh, she wasn't too bad once she got used to things. Before we were better acquainted she was much worse." I glare at him as he smirks down at me. Tori giggles.<br>"How did you two meet? It seems really unlikely that the two of you would be friends. After all, my sister is kind of a bum." I punch her in the arm, and she pouts at me.  
>"She just kind of...fell into my life, I think. Our meeting was rather interesting, in any case." The pun was horrible, but Tori, being perceptive as she is, got the truth out of it.<p>

"She fell, didn't she? Like, over a couch or something? She's always doing that at home." I face-palm. Why does she have to continue to say things like that? In any case, he nods, confirming her suspicions.  
>"You would meet people that way, sis. Always the klutz." I shrug.<br>"What can I do? Gravity has a problem with me." All I hear is a chuckle from my left, and I turn my head quickly to glare at said chuckling, vindictive, demonic host.

God dammit, he makes me angry. If he wasn't so cute, I'd probably have castrated him by now.

Wait, did I just say cute? Oh right, I was the one who thought about jumping in the sack with him from day one. Talk about a creep.

"It's true, it really does. So, Maria, where are we going to go first? Oh, I know! Let's go to your school!" I shake my head.  
>"It's Saturday, you goof. There isn't school on Saturdays at Ouran, and plus it's after hours. Your flight was delayed a shitload, remember?" I say, before turning to Kyoya.<br>"Can you have your driver take us back to my apartment? I have to get her settled in today." He smirks at me.  
>"Tori, tell me...is there anything in particular that you are interested in while we are out?" I feel myself about ready to throw up.<p>

He can't be serious. Is he really going to take my sister out? Does he even know what kind of hell he's getting himself into?

"Hmm...well, I'd really like to get something to eat. I'm starving! I haven't eaten since I left my friend's house this morning...or, yesterday morning...er, well, I don't know, it's just been a long time and I'm freakin' hungry!" I face-palm. Already she's being a spaz. This is going to be a long week, I can already tell. I love my sister to death, but I know that the minute we get home tonight I'm going to be interrogated up the wazoo.

Siblings. Gotta love 'em.

"I know just the place. How does fine dining sound?"  
>"I don't care what it is, as long as there's a lot of it!" She shouts, and I plug my ear. Jesus Christ, Kyoya...do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into? No, you don't, but I hope you find out soon.<p>

This child will be the death of me, I'm sure of that much.

* * *

><p>"<em>Maria, I can't read the menu! What does it say?" <em>Tori shouts in English at me, and I sigh.  
>"Just...let me order for you, okay? I know what you like."<br>"No, I want to know what it says! I want to know! I want to—"  
>"Okay, shut up already! It's Japanese cuisine, dumbass, and you wouldn't know what it was even if I told you! I've been eating here since January! I think I know what you do or don't like, so shut up!" I shout, ignoring the hand that's on my arm from the boy sitting next to me. It's the only thing keeping me from punching them both and storming out of here.<br>"Okay...you didn't have to be so loud...or so mean..." She says softly, and immediately guilt washes over me. I sigh.  
>"Tori, it's fine, just...next time, just ask me nicely, okay? And try to keep your voice down...we're in a very nice place. You're lucky Kyoya's more than willing to pay, because we'd be going for instant noodles if it was me." I manage to grumble, my guilt taking over me. The hand that was on my arm removes itself, and I can relax a little more. In all honesty, that was a little bit...awkward for me. Not because it felt awkward, but because it made me feel something that I haven't felt in a while, and it's scaring the hell out of me.<p>

Whatever. No time to think about it now.

I push those thoughts away as I read off the menu to Tori. We order, and then sit and wait. It's not too long before Tori's asking more questions.

"Kyoya, are you and my sister in the same class?"  
>"Yes, we are."<br>"Oh, so you get to see her at her laziest. Is that a fun experience?"  
>"...Well, I suppose it would be, but she's third in our class. I don't think she's as lazy as you may think."<br>"Hey, how do you know I'm third, you creep?" I ask him, and he simply pushes up his glasses.  
>"I keep tabs on everyone in the host club as well as all of our guests. It's policy. Though I must say your profile is still rather blank. There's not much information on you in Japan's records, so I'll have to fill in the blanks later." He says, and I roll my eyes.<br>"Wait, did you say host club, Kyoya? Sis, why didn't you tell me they had a host club? That totally makes sense now! No wonder you have cute guys as friends! They're in a host club...though I don't get why you're a part of it. Unless you're a guest." I shake my head. Wow, Tori, wow. Just wow.  
>"No, Tori, it's...complicated. I usually do my work while in the host club because Tamaki—the president of the club—asked me to come by. Something about...I don't know, what did he say?" I ask Kyoya. He pushes up his glasses.<p>

"He finds your presence very appealing." I sigh.  
>"Right. Something like that. Anyway, so that's how come I met this bozo and every other guy in the host club. You'll meet them this week too, and let me tell you, the amount of squealing, giggling, fainting and swooning will make you feel sane in comparison. Trust me." I say, humor and sarcasm dripping from every word. Tori laughs.<br>"I don't think Kyoya's a bozo. I think he's really cute. And if he is, I wonder how much better this president guy is...he must be a total babe." I face-palm. Not only did she call Kyoya cute, but she also called his best friend a babe. All in one go.

Sometimes I wonder if we really are related or not.

"He's our most popular host among the ladies, according to my statistics. In your terms, yes, he is considered the ideal among our guests. You'll be coming by with your sister, I presume? If so, you'll meet him then, I'm sure." I'm glad when the food gets here, because I hope that she will shut up and shovel food into that big mouth of hers.

And then, my luck runs out. I forgot to mention that I cannot use chopsticks. I am inept at it, no matter how good of an artist I may be. I just can't work the sticks to my advantage.

Now, I have to look like an idiot and ask for a fork, which I'm not even sure they have.

"Oh my God, Maria, this is so good! You really do know what I like." I see her shoveling food into her mouth with her chopsticks, and sigh with a face-palm to the forehead. She's been here, what, maybe a little over half an hour and already she can use chopsticks? She would be the one to show me up completely.  
>"Aren't you hungry, Maria? You didn't have to force yourself to order something if you weren't hungry." I shake my head at Kyoya, feeling that familiar weight of embarrassment start to build.<br>"It's...not that. I...God, this is embarrassing...Kyoya, I can't use chopsticks." I whisper, just loud enough for him to hear. He stares at me for a moment, and then I turn away, blushing with embarrassment. My sister's laughter doesn't help.  
>"You would be the one who's unable to use chopsticks! Oh my God, that's so funny! Hahahahaha!" She laughing, shouting so the whole restaurant can hear, and I just want to die. Right here, right now, on this wonderfully expensive carpet. Crawl into a dark hole, put a rock over the entrance, and never come out. I feel about as big as an ant right about now.<br>"Oh, I see. Well, I'll have them bring you a fork, then. Don't worry about it, it's not a big deal." I blush even more. He's waving this off like it's nothing while my sister cackles at me. It's what I expect from her, but not from him. I thought some laughter or some snide remark would ensue. But he wasn't the least bit bothered. But the giggling idiot that I call my sibling is what makes things that much worse.

I hope you choke on a grain of rice, you whore. I really do.

And when my fork arrives I have actually lost my appetite. Nonetheless I manage to shovel food into my mouth for a time despite my embarrassment. I simply keep quiet and keep food in my mouth so I don't have to speak. The less I speak, the more I disappear. That's the best thing for me to do right now while I try to let the moments of my previous embarrassment die away.

"Hey, sis...tomorrow's Sunday, right?" I nod to her, my eyes landing on her.  
>"What are we going to do tomorrow, then?" I shrug.<br>"Well, on Sundays I normally do a lot of chores, since my apartment gets dirty very fast. Seeing as you were flying in today I did them today instead. So I don't know what we're going to do tomorrow. I suppose it depends on what you want to do." I say as our plates are taken away. We stand and as Kyoya's pays, she continues talking to me.  
>"I say we invite the host club over for a McMillan-style brunch! What do you say? Doesn't that sound fun? And I'll get to meet all of your friends, too!" I sigh.<p>

That is a horrible idea, truly awful, but what can I say? If that's what she wants, then I guess I'll have to oblige. It's not like I had any plans, anyway.  
>"I suppose it would be okay, but I can't guarantee everyone can be there. It is Sunday, after all...some people might be busy. We can try if that's what you want, though." I say, though inside I want to shoot myself in the face for letting her convince me of this, because that means I have to hide all of my manga and anime, Yaoi especially, and get my apartment prepped for a whole bunch of people. The place isn't too small, but it's not huge either. It'll be cozy, but manageable.<p>

Much to my happiness, she sprints to the bathroom with little more than a mutter to me. I stand there with my arms crossed and wait, knowing that her sense of direction is absolutely atrocious.

"Where did she run off to?" Kyoya asks me, coming to stand next me. I throw my hand out wildly with a gesture toward the restroom.  
>"The loo. She'll be back in a minute. I have a favor to ask of you, actually, while she's not standing here to humiliate me any further." He looks at me, raising an eyebrow.<br>"Coming from someone who doesn't ask favors, I'm a little worried." He says, sarcasm intended, I'm sure. I shake my head with a laughing scoff.  
>"Tori has come up with a crazy idea that is going to require your help. She wants to have brunch at our place tomorrow, which involves me cooking and prepping while she socializes. She wants me to invite the entire host club, and me being me, I can't say no to her. She's my sister...I have a soft spot. So, I—"<br>"You need me to call the others to invite them? That's simple enough. Are you sure all of us will fit?"  
>"My apartment isn't small, and it's rather empty. I have a large table in storage that I bought when I first got here because I was going to send it to my mother for Christmas. I can have it pulled from storage early tomorrow morning and have it ready before I even start food. As long as I rearrange the living room tonight, it shouldn't be a problem, on the hope that Tori doesn't demolish the place before she goes to bed tonight." I say. He shrugs.<br>"I think I can manage that. What time would you like for us to arrive?"  
>"Ten is normal for a Sunday brunch. So how about 10:30?" He nods.<br>"I will inform everyone tonight. Anything else?" I shake my head.  
>"No, not that I can think of." I say as Tori hops over to me.<br>"Okay, ready! Let's go!" She says, and I sigh.

This is going to be one long night.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for carting us around, Kyoya. You certainly didn't have to. We could have taken trains." He shakes his head with a hand up.<br>"No, it's quite alright. I don't mind in the least. I had to see for myself the monstrosity you conjured up for me a few days ago. She doesn't seem as bad as you make her out to be...about as uncouth as you, actually." I throw up my hands.  
>"Yeah, yeah, but we're Americans <em>and<em> we're middle class. And if you met our mother, you would understand why we are the way we are. It's her fault, I swear. Not that I mind, but still, you get my drift." I hear some shouting behind me as I stand by Kyoya's limo—damn this rich bastard—and decide that I better go before Tori has a conniption.  
>"I'm being summoned. I better go. Thanks again! I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" He smirks, taking my hand and raising it to his lips. I'm quicker to react, however and cross my arms before he has the chance to do anything like that with my sister twenty feet away to witness it. He gives me a sly look that just looks so evil and cold...and that evil smile doesn't help in the least.<br>"Tomorrow at 10:30, then." He says, turning and getting into his car. I turn around and make my way to my sister, who's whining and jumping up and down for me to hurry up. She follows me up the stairs to the second floor and walks into the apartment almost as soon as the door is open. Actually, I think running is the more appropriate term I should use for her method of entrance.

"Oh my God, Maria! This place is so empty! It feels so huge for an apartment!" She's running about, and I stop her for a moment.  
>"Tori, whatever you do, please do not touch anything in my room. It serves as my art studio and bedroom, just like at home. You have to be careful, so no running around, okay?" She yawns, and I'm sort of glad she's winding down.<br>"Maria, where am I going to be sleeping? I'm tired..." I laugh.  
>"You were so wound up not even five minutes ago. What happened? Are you out of the public eye and have to act civilized now? Or is the flight catching up with you?" She pouts, then yawns again.<br>"I think it's both. Anyway, where is my bed?" I sigh, shaking my head, before pulling down the inflatable mattress from my closet and starting the pump to blow it up. She throws her suitcase into the bottom of my closet and flops on my bed. The soft hum of the pump is in the background, but other than that it's silent. I migrate to the kitchen for a warm cup of tea to help me settle in for the night, so I can be ready for an early rise tomorrow. She startles me when she sits down at the coffee table in the living room, a thud on the floor telling me that's where she's at. I migrate out there with some tea, and she eyes me as I sit. I sip my tea slowly, savoring the sweet of the honey and tang of the lemon. I look up again, and she's staring at me intensely. I dart my eyes around the room nervously as she seriously stares me down.

{They are speaking English now, just FYI}

"Maria, are you and that guy really just friends?" I spit the tea across the coffee table, which she swiftly dodges. I cough a little, then clear my throat.  
>"What gave you the idea we were anything but?" I ask her, knowing immediately where this was going. I'm not going to sit here and have her get me thinking that I like Kyoya in any way other than a friend. I can hardly stand him as a friend, so how could I stand him as more than that? She eyes me suspiciously, clearly not convinced. She's always thinking I'm in love with anything that walks. It's a horrible misconception she has of me.<p>

"Tori, I know where this is going, and if you think for even a second that Kyoya and I are an item, or ever could be, you're mistaken. I certainly don't think of him that way, and I know he doesn't think of me that way. We are friends, nothing more." I say, drinking some more of my tea. She keeps her green eyes on me with the same look. It doesn't change. It's one of those moments where I can talk until I'm blue in the face and she won't believe me.  
>"Maria, you're my sister, alright? I can believe that you don't like him, maybe to the tiniest of degrees, so I'll buy it for now. As for this Kyoya guy, one thing is really obvious. Do you think I'd honestly act like the fool I did if I wasn't trying to get a rise out of him about you or me? He was calm and collected the entire time." I shake my head. She is totally blowing things out of proportion and construing everything that happened tonight. Sounds just like her.<br>"So you acted like a fool to see if you could make him tick? And you did it to me to see if he'd do something about it? If you met his friend, Tamaki, you would look like a saint in comparison to his antics. Kyoya's dealt with a lot worse when it comes to people. Of course he wouldn't be phased by what you did. What you did is mild compared to what I get on a daily basis from Tamaki, I promise. He felt no reason to step in. He figured it was normal. So stop screwing things up in your head and romanticizing everything about this situation. We are just friends, that's all. Nothing special, nothing romantic, nothing secret, just friends. Get over it." I say seriously. She sighs and shakes her head.  
>"That may be true, sis, but have you seen the way he looks at you? The way he treats you? Why do you think he gave us rides today? It isn't because you guys are just 'friends'. Friends do favors, but not that kind of stuff. He's totally captivated by you. It's so obvious, like, you have no idea." I face-palm. She's switched to super valley girl mode. Great.<p>

"Tori...you are ridiculous. You—"  
>"Stop saying that! I know what I saw! He was going to kiss your hand before he left! Guys don't do that if you're just friends!" I shake my head.<br>"This is high class society, Tori. The world you are going to see in the next week you are here is completely different from what you are used to. Chivalry is expected. Respect and admiration of a girl is given by a kiss on the knuckles. It's happened enough to me even though I'm a commoner, and I think I'd know." I say. She rolls her eyes.  
>"Did Kyoya tell you that one?" I shrug.<br>"It doesn't matter. That's the way things are. Tamaki does it too. You'll see for yourself tomorrow." I say, and she shrugs in response.  
>"Sis, it's okay to be in denial, but when this guy is rich, hot, and totally likes you, you shouldn't ignore him, you know? It's clear he's interested to me, whether you think so or not. And I think you like him, somewhere in that closed-off heart of yours. Maybe you should think about opening your heart back up to guys, y'know? They're not all that bad. Some are pretty good, and if you say chivalry is expected, what better kind of crop to find a man in than rich kids?" I shake my head, sighing before finishing my tea. She's so superficial...or just thinking more romantically than I am. Either way it sounds ridiculous.<p>

The last time I opened my heart to a guy, I had it trampled on. Never again, so long as I carry that hurt around with me. Until someone comes along that can heal my heart, I won't try. It's not worth the hurt to me, nor the stress. I have enough of that in my life, even as far away from home as I am. I don't need more.

"Tori, I understand, but...you know why I don't do it. It's too easy for me to get hurt. I'll help anyone in a heartbeat, but letting someone in to see the innermost parts of me is just...something I can't do. Not yet. Not again." I say, a diminuendo occurring as I continue to speak. I then turn from her, rising to go to the kitchen.

What she says next stops me cold.

"That last thing I want to see for you, Maria, is you alone while I have someone by my side. I don't want to have that experience if I can't share it with you. We've always done everything together, and I want it to always be that way. You know I'll always be here no matter what happens. So, for me...give someone, I don't care who, a chance. I'll just leave you with this: I think Kyoya is the one for you. Maybe you should open up a little more to him and not try to put him off so much. He's genuinely interested, not trying to get into your pants like every other guy you've ever been interested in. He'll treat you better, and it's not like he's perfect. He has his imperfections too. You're not the only one with monsters. You should try to remember that. You aren't the only one who's been hurt or is hurting. There are others, too. It's the ability for two people to share their weaknesses and still love each other just as much that makes them stay together." I clench my fist, unclench it, then migrate into the kitchen. I'm conflicted with what she's told me. Regardless of how easy it would be to just follow her advice...I don't know if I can do it.

Kyoya's rich, lives in a world I could never really understand because I'm not there...what would we have to connect on? I don't know enough about him to say that he's imperfect...so far I've only seen that he has the ability to be an ass as well as a gentleman, characteristic of every man I've ever met, only more civilized. What else is there to know about him?

That makes me curious in the smallest of ways. What is he really like? Evil? Chivalrous? An inconsiderate asshole? Or is he someone that is actually—Lord kill me for saying this—compatible with me and a good companion? How would I know, considering that I've never been involved with him in that way? The fact that I'm even thinking about this is some indication of attraction, though I admit that from the first moment I met him I thought he was attractive. But someone looking good doesn't really mean anything about what's on the inside...but...

He cared enough about me to step in and tell me to open up and relax when I was bound and determined to keep others out of my life. He stepped in to teach me how to dance, how to accept the favors of other based on the assumption that they just want to help you. It's easy to tell when someone wants to help you compared to someone who wants something from you, and he helped me realize that. But then I see the way he treats Haruhi. It's like she's a slave, though more chivalrous and courteous than that. The other host club members are scared of him because he can be extremely cold and cool, analytical and unfeeling. Yet when he's with Tamaki, I see the slightest bit of tolerance and actual like for his friend. I would even call them best friends.

I'm so confused about him...he's got so many sides. Kyoya Otori, what are you really like? What is it that you hide from the world? Just what is it that drives you to be the way you are? What makes you so great at everything? Why, why, why?

So many questions I don't know yet, but most of those questions I didn't know to ask until now. What Tori said...kind of makes sense. Maybe. If I admit that I am interested in getting to know more, it's easier than saying I like him in a romantic sense, which isn't true. I see a closer friendship in the future, so long as we get along.

Needless to say, I think it's going to be a hard night for me. Sleeping is definitely out of the question now. That, I will blame on Tori.

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><p><strong>And so we get a glimpse as Maria starts to feel herself changing, if even just a little bit. It won't be too long before it's too late! Or will that really be the case? Hehehe...<strong>

**So again, thank you to all of you who reviewed/favorited/alerted me, and I hope to hear more from you in the future. I hope you enjoyed this and will continue to read, because I am having so much fun writing this. A word of warning, though...I do have college finals coming up very quickly. Like, in two weeks. Then I am being forced to spend a weekend with my grandparents (ugh) so if I go a while without updating, rest assured that when I get some time I definitely will. It shouldn't be too much of a problem, but I'm giving you guys a heads up. Thanks so much and I love you all!**


	11. Getting to Know You Part 1

**Well, this chapter is a lot shorter than normal, since I split up a 12 page chapter into three parts. So basically this chapter is nothing but fluff. The next chapter is the one that actually has some great stuff in it, interactions between Kyoya and Maria as they further deepen their understanding with each other. You'll be very happy with that chapter. **

**I decided to update because I got some great feedback and figured I should update again! Thanks so much to EowynAhsokaLover and LunarMagick for reviewing, I appreciate your feedback and can't wait to hear more from you! Thanks soooo so so so much! You don't know how much it means to me!**

**Also, thank you to firefly26893, Thirsty4MoreBloodAndWords13 and ASDFGHJKL25 for favoriting/alerting this story. Thanks so much for continuing to watch this story and be interested enough to continue to read it! I look forward to what you guys think in the future!**

**So without further ado, here's the ever short chapter 11!**

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><p>"Tori, I'm going to the store. Don't destroy the place and make sure you get up. The bathroom is down the hall if you want a shower." I tell my zombie-like sibling, who merely groans and turns over. I grab my keys, my wallet, and head out to the store. I had the table brought in earlier, which was really hard to get in the door. Since Tori sleeps like the dead, it was easy enough to get it in here without waking her up. The guys down at the storage place were nice enough to carry it for me too. I tipped them for good measure, because they were going to have to come back and move it back into storage later. They seemed happy about it, though. I'm glad that people are actually nice enough to help me.<p>

I have to go to a supermarket to get something to clean the wood as well as some food to make the brunch. If it's McMillan-style, there's a lot on the menu, and none of it is Japanese. Gives me an excuse to buy a set of nice silver.

Now, what to make is the question. Brunch is a mixture of breakfast and lunch, so...french toast for sure. Fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, and other assorted berries. Potatoes for hashbrowns. Now, meat-wise...maybe some ham, or...bacon? Nah, there's no good bacon here. I already checked...well, I'll figure it out.

When I get back to my house with my butt load of groceries and the stuff needed to clean and treat the table, I hear the shower running. It's about 8:30, which gives me two hours to clean and treat the table and prepare enough food for nine people. Oh joy. Let the acrobatics begin.

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><p>"Welcome, everyone!" I hear my sister's voice at precisely 10:30 as she opens the door. I managed to finish setting the table, put down nice cushions for everyone to sit on, prepared tea, water and coffee, and I have food ready to serve along the table. I've been rushing so much I haven't had time to get ready, so I told Tori to greet everyone while I dress into something besides dirty shorts and a holey t-shirt. I slip on jeans and a nice, plain-colored, fitted V-neck t-shirt that's dark green. It's cut for women, which is nice and looks a lot better than the unisex t-shirts that I mostly own. I pull down my hair, brush it out, put some clips in one side, and dust a bit of crap on my face to at least modestly cover the pimples. I walk out of the room, notice I'm wearing neon socks, and fly back in and slip on some plain white socks. There, not so unprepared anymore.<p>

I walk into the room, and everyone's heads turn to me. I immediately see the sparkles and stars where Tamaki is sitting, and lo and behold next to him sits my sister, who is on the receiving end of his affections.

"Ah, mademoiselle, you are most beautiful...much like your sister. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." I hear him say, and she's giggling to high heaven.

Dear Lord, why did you do this to me? I will never separate them now. Thanks a lot.

"I see everyone's here. I'm glad you all could make it. Everyone, this is my sister Tori. She's turning 15 this summer and she lives in Las Vegas with the rest of my family. She's here for the week and is going to be shadowing me at Ouran during that time." She slaps my leg, because I'm standing behind her.  
>"Shut up, you sound so stuffy! Let's eat already, 'cause I'm freakin' starving!" She says, and everyone laughs. I smirk and take my seat at the head of the table—which I find a little odd, but don't really mind too much—and watch as everyone's digs in. I see that to my left is Kyoya, to my right is Tamaki, and the rest of the host club follow down as follows, my sister next to Tamaki. It's clear that Tori was the one who sat them down. If it was me, I would have had Haruhi by my left and Kyoya by my right, but that's fine. I don't mind this either, so long as Tamaki can keep his hands to himself throughout the meal.<p>

"This is amazing, Mari-chan! It's so yummy!" I hear from Honey-sempai as he shovels a scone into his mouth. It happens to be my favorite kind as well, which is chocolate chip. I smile and continue to eat.  
>"Mari-chan, did you make all of this?" I nod, answering Kaoru's question.<br>"The fruit I just cut up. It was quite simple, really. The rest is homemade, though I will admit that the scones are store bought. They take too long to make by hand otherwise." I say, explaining my methods of madness very briefly. No need for intricate details with these people, because they won't understand or care.  
>"Did you hurt yourself?" I shake my head at Hikaru.<br>"No. I've done it long enough, so I don't cut or burn myself much anymore." I say.  
>"That's not how it used to be. I remember when we were younger and you were starting to cook. You couldn't stop yourself from chopping your hand off most days!" Tori says, and I nod.<br>"It's true. That much I know. But I was, what, ten? It makes sense that I would have problems when I was that young." I say, taking a bite of the french toast. I'm surprised at how great it tastes. Just like mama's. It's a little nostalgic, and I have to sit there a moment and savor it.

"That good, hm?" I hear from my left, and I look at Kyoya, who's got a sly smirk on his face. I swallow.  
>"Yes, it is good. It tastes just like mama's, doesn't it Tori? It's a little nostalgic, and makes me a little homesick." I say, and she smiles at me.<br>"Yeah, it does. You did a good job." She says, before continuing to eat and flirt with Tamaki. I can already tell that tearing them apart at the end of the week is going to be nearly impossible.

All things considered, it would be great motivation for her to apply and get accepted to Ouran. After all, if there's one thing I want, it's to get her out of that house and into my care, under my supervision. I know I'll treat her and support her better than anything she could get in that house. I know that my mother is good enough, but with my father around that's almost negated. Tori may be pretty impervious to most things, but she's not invincible. She'd be better off here. Still, I don't want her to come just because of Tamaki. It's not worth it if that's the case, no sarcasm intended.

I know it sounds like I'm compromising my family, but if I could find a good way to get my father out of the picture, I would have done it by now. As it stands, I have no money, no job, and no education to speak of. I don't have the ability to support my entire family yet. Nothing can happen until I accomplish that much.

"Are you alright, Maria? You seem to have fallen into yourself for a moment." I look up suddenly and look at Kyoya, who had been speaking to me. I blink a little and continue eating.  
>"It's nothing." I say, avoiding his gaze. I don't care if he doesn't believe me. It's not his business.<p>

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><p>"Maria, it was nice of you to invite all of us today. The food was amazing, as always." Haruhi says, and the rest of the host club looks at her funny.<br>"What do you mean, Haru-chan?" Honey-sempai asks. She smiles.  
>"I've spent the night at Maria's already, and she made me some authentic American food. It was a fun evening." Then the host club looks at me, and I shrug.<br>"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"  
>"You and Haruhi had a sleepover, and you didn't tell anyone?" I nod to Hikaru.<br>"For good reason. Had I said anything, you creeps would have found my apartment and shown up unannounced. That's the last thing I wanted at the time." I say, and Kaoru quirks an eyebrow.  
>"Really? So we're creeps now? Is that a promotion or a demotion?" I shrug.<br>"I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure it's a demotion. That's what I thought at the time, and it's been a while since then. Man, you guys are slow. Haruhi and I may not see each other a lot, but we do hang out from time to time." I say. Tori giggles, and I look at her. Again, Tamaki is flirting with her. But this time, he has her in his arms. I feel myself losing it a little. Why is he touching her? I don't remember giving him my permission.

"I must say, mademoiselle, I find you quite breathtaking. Please do me the honor of spending the day with me." She giggles a little more, playing it up. She's totally flirting, and the sweetness makes me want to gag. As much as I like shoujo, I don't like it in real life. And Yaoi is the only cuteness overload I will accept. So this is pure torture, especially when it's my own sister and that overgrown imbecile.

"I would be happy to, Tamaki." She says, and my jaw drops.  
>"Hey, what's this you're planning? I don't remember saying you could do that! Tamaki, hands off! Now!" I say, and he looks at me with a pout.<br>"Aw, it's okay Mari-chan. Tama-chan won't hurt Tori-chan. He's just being nice." I grit my teeth at this, but my weakness for Honey-sempai makes me give in. Plus, who am I to lord over her? She is here, but I told her I wouldn't mind her having fun. However, the way he's holding her and treating her is going to give her the wrong impression, and then he's going to hurt her. I'll have to make sure to get on his case if that's how things are going to be. If there's one thing about Tori, it's that if she wants something, no amount of my hollering and anger is going to change her mind. In that way, she's even more pig-headed and stubborn than I am. I know when to quit, something she has yet to learn. That's my father's influence on her.

"So, Mari-chan, is it alright if I steal her for a day? Do you mind at all?" That smile he gives me...I'm still wary.  
>"I don't know, Tamaki..." I say, and the moment I see Tori's face that says 'oh no you don't' I shrug, giving in.<br>"Alright, but you better bring her back in one piece. And if you're giving her the wrong idea I will not hesitate to castrate you. You've been warned." I say, and with that warning in mind, he turns back to her. She doesn't miss a beat skipping over to me.

"Hey, why don't you all come along? I'm sure it would be so much fun!" She says, but clearly Tamaki is not happy with it.  
>"We can't." Honey-sempai says, and Tori deflates a little.<br>"Why?" She asks, and he smiles.  
>"Well, Takashi and I have to go back to his house. There's family stuff that we have to take care of today." She nods.<br>"It's okay. Anyone else?" She asks, and the twins move next.  
>"Well, we have to go home and see mom. She's back from one of her shows and wants to see us."<br>"And I have to go back to see my dad. He wants to see me today." Haruhi says.  
>"Kyoya?" He shakes his head at my sister.<br>"I don't have plans." He says.  
>"Well, Haruhi, we'll take you home!" The twins say, but she shakes her head.<br>"I'm going to stay and help clean up. It's not urgent that I get home right away, unlike you guys." Deflated, the twins and our sempais say their goodbyes and make their way home.  
>"Alright, the rest of you can help me. I need to get this place clean before anyone goes anywhere." I say, marching back inside. I start to clear dishes from the table, and I see Haruhi and Tori at my side shortly afterward. They put food away while I run a sink full of soapy water. I don't expect the two that aren't present to help, since they've probably never done this kind of thing before. So I wash dishes, Haruhi dries them and stacks them, and Tori wipes down the floors and table.<p>

"Tori, when you're done with that, call the guys from the storage facility down the street and tell them to come get the table." I say over my shoulder.  
>"I don't have the number!" She whines.<br>"It's on my cell phone. Just get the damn thing and call!" I say, gritting my teeth as I wash the dishes. Haruhi laughs at me.  
>"Maria, you and your sister seem really close." I sigh.<br>"We are pretty close. She and I don't do anything without the other most of the time. I'm going to try to convince her to come to Japan and go to Ouran. She's got amazing grades and is a great musician. I'm sure there's something they could give her to attend." She helps me put the dishes away as I hear Tori flirting with Tamaki.  
>"Why is that?" I know my face doesn't look the greatest at the thought of why, but I manage to smile.<br>"I just can't think of doing the rest of this without her. It would be fun for us to live together, I think." I say. Convinced or not, she doesn't ask any more questions.

"The guys are here, Maria! What do you want me to tell them?" I push past my sister and get to the door. I smile and let them in.  
>"Here it is, guys! Just take it out the same way you brought it in." I say, and they nod. I push the two numbskulls out of the way and lift the table to put it on it's side without much effort. I let the workers take over after that.<br>"Miss, you didn't have to do that. This thing is pretty heavy."  
>"I just turned it over. It's fine." I say, crossing my arms as they maneuver the table out of my door.<br>"Mari-chan...you turned that table on end all by yourself. How did you do it? It looks so heavy." I shrug to Tamaki, who's got a concerned look on his face.  
>"It's nothing, really. I've hauled boxes and lifted furniture with more weight than that table." I say, turning back to go to the kitchen. I make sure the place is clean, then turn to go back to the living room. Once the storage guys are gone, Haruhi says goodbye and goes on her way. Tori then jumps for joy.<p>

"Yay, it's a double date!" I shake my head as she grabs Tamaki and makes her way out of the door. I manage to put my shoes on and then make my way out as well. Kyoya holds out his hand courteously, but I just scoff.  
>"If you think for a moment that I'm going to cling to you like some idiotic, flirtatious female, think again. Let's go...I don't want Tamaki pulling anything without my supervision." I say, pushing my way past the pompous ass behind me and following my sister and the blond imbecile.<p>

God, why me? Why did I agree to this again? Oh, right, it's because I'm a complete freakin' moron with a soft spot for my sibling, and I don't want that imbecile creating trouble for her. Damn me and all of my sensitivities.

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><p><strong>There's that filler chapter, and seeing as I have to keep ahead of you guys and I'm writing a whole lot of the next parts of this story as I write this here (yes, I am just that talented XD) I have been hesitant to update because I used to be eight or nine chapters ahead, and now I'm only, like, three ahead. So I split things up and everything so I have more time to work. I promise that as pointless as this chapter may seem, I had to get Tamaki, Tori, Maria and Kyoya out for a day, just the four of them and this is what I came up with. You guys will love next chapter, I promise!<strong>

**Thanks so much to all of you who have reviewed/favorited/alerted, and please please PLEASE keep that great feedback coming! It spurs me on and makes me feel obligated to give you another chapter if I get enough reviews/favorites/alerts.**

**Later days and much love!**

**~B-chan**


	12. Getting to Know You Part 2

**Alright! Here we go! First, I have to dedicate this chapter to EowynAhsokaLover and LunarMagick (who reviewed only moments ago) for reviewing my story. You guys are so lovely, I thank you so much for continuing to give me great feedback. I love you and thank you!**

**Thank you FloppyWandedDementorBoggerer for adding my story to your alerts, I appreciate my ever-growing fanbase so very much! I look forward to what you have to say in the future.**

**So here it is, chapter 12! I'm writing some romance (finally) and I'm AT LEAST ten chapters ahead of you guys. I've been busy but thought I'd give you this wonderfully juicy chapter for you to read over the weekend. Hope you guys enjoy it! And keep the feedback coming, it helps to fuel me on and continue to write and give you more to read! Love you all so very much and thank you so much for your support! :3**

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><p>"Maria! I want this one!" I shake my head.<br>"Tori, I've told you, I don't have money to spend on you. What I had went toward the brunch you wanted today. Sorry." I say, shrugging, and then Tamaki comes to whisk her away.  
>"Don't worry, mademoiselle, I will get whatever it is you desire!" I face-palm. What the hell is wrong with him? I mean seriously? He's going to spoil her to death. That's just what she needs, Tamaki. Thanks a lot.<br>"If you don't want him to spoil her, you should just say so." I jump out of my skin at hearing Kyoya speak. It's as if the bastard read my mind!  
>"I can't do that. It's not my place. Besides, she's only here for a week. It won't be that bad. She deserves it after all the crap she went through these past few months without me there." I walk forward as Tamaki starts to drag Tori toward Victoria's Secret.<br>"Hey! I don't think so, Tamaki. There is no way I am letting you buy her underwear!"  
>"Oh, is that what this store is?" He asks me dumbly.<br>"Yes, you idiot! This is a woman's underwear and lingerie store! I won't allow you to shop in this place with her unless you two are married! I refuse!"  
>"Aw, but Maria, there's something I want in here."<br>"No! That is so not happening, Tori! Get over it!" She pouts, but moves on regardless. I just avoided a disaster.

This is going to be one hell of a day.

"Mmm, this ice cream is good, Tamaki. Thanks for getting it for me." He beams at her, but I sit there and grimace. Kyoya's sitting next to me, and he hasn't said much this entire time. I'm basically a supervisor, a babysitter. Tamaki's already gotten her a couple of little trinkets and a cute dress. I had to admit that it was really sweet, because he was absolutely caught up in the process. I'm scanning the store windows, and something sparkly catches my eye. I slip from the company of my sister and the two bozos and make my way over to a shoe store that's got something really good in the window. I start to browse and manage to find my size in the farthest corner of the store. I scan the racks for the display shoes, and when I find them I almost jump for joy. The key word being almost.

I pull them down gently and slip off the flats that I'm wearing. I put on the sparkling heels, and model them on my feet. I pull up a leg on my jeans to look at them a little closer in the mirror on the stool. The shoes are purple stiletto heels, open-toed, with rhinestone accents on the top of the toes. They look so cute and I absolutely love them. I walk a little bit in them and admire how comfortable they are. High heels and comfortable don't mix very often, but on occasion I come across a pair that's got the quality I like, so I end up buying it.

"Not this pair I won't, though...damn, this is so high." I say, gazing at the box. I convert the amount in my head, and it comes out to around $350. I don't have that kind of money laying around, otherwise I'd buy them in a heartbeat.  
>"Oh well...they're really cute though...maybe I'll wait for another commission and buy them online. With shoes these cute they'll be around for a while." I say to myself. I admire them a little longer, sitting down and gazing at them.<p>

"I take it you like those?" I look up to see Kyoya standing next to me, arms crossed with a smirk on his face.  
>"Yeah, I do. They look good, don't they?"<br>"I wouldn't be the one to ask, but yes, I think they suit you." I nod with a sigh.  
>"It's too bad they're so expensive. I'd buy them in a heartbeat." I say. He picks up the box as I admire them a little longer. I then take them off and slip on my other shoes.<br>"Well, I better put them back before I spend money I don't have." I say, taking the box from his hands and putting the shoes up. With a longing glance backward, I pull Kyoya out of the store and make my way back to the two lovebirds. I'll remember that pair of shoes.

"Ah, there you both are! Romantic rendezvous, you two? You were gone a pretty long time. If you'd wanted some time alone, I'm sure Tori and I could have been discreet enough to leave the two of you alone." I glare at Tamaki, and Kyoya repeats my glare.  
>"In your dreams." I grit through my teeth. Tori then distracts Tamaki, and I'm glad. Anything to shut that idiot up.<p>

_{Several Hours Later}_

"Yay! This way, Tamaki, this way! Isn't it pretty?"  
>"It is, mademoiselle, but next to you it can hardly compare." The look on Maria's face is one of pure disgust at the two people in front of her, who are currently gazing into the town square that is lit up in the night. Clearly she is unimpressed with Tamaki's antics.<br>"They're a little much, aren't they?" Kyoya comments, and she has no choice but to agree.  
>"Yeah, they are. I'm actually feeling a little physically ill just being in their presence." She says, and the Otori boy chuckles.<br>"We could always split up. I rather enjoy your company when you aren't around other people. You seem to sober up your antics, for the most part." She rolls her eyes at this, figuring that it's his way of complimenting her, though he could have found a much more flattering way to say it.  
>"As tempting as that offer sounds, I have to say no. If I leave these two alone for two seconds, who knows what kind of nonsense Tamaki will pull." Kyoya shakes his head.<br>"You should give Tamaki more credit. As much of an imbecile and an idiot as he acts, he's not quite as stupid as you'd think. He knows better than to get involved in something that could turn out bad in the end. He's too interested in Haruhi to really pay too much attention to your sister. There is still the possibility, and don't think for a moment that he's tricking her. He's interested in her genuinely, and they have good chemistry. If it turns out that Haruhi isn't interested, or if Tamaki loses interest in her, then I can assure you that Tamaki will take the appropriate steps. He is, above all else, a gentleman." Maria nods, thinking about it. If what Kyoya says is true, then she has no reason to worry about Tori being with Tamaki. And the atmosphere really is getting to be too much for Maria. She sighs.  
>"I guess we should tell them then...Tori doesn't have a key, so we'll have to find a time to meet back at my apartment. I'll take that up with Tamaki." She says, walking forward to separate the two. Kyoya can't help but smirk at this. Without knowing it, she's given in to a suggestion of his, one he was sure she was going to reject outright without questions or arguments.<p>

This girl is continuing to surprise him, he notes, and he rather likes the challenge of figuring her out, no matter how annoying and intricate her puzzle may be.

"What are you thinking about in that big head of yours?" He looks down to see Tori standing next to him with a sly smirk.  
>"Nothing in particular. Your sister is quite a surprising creature. I've never seen a woman act the way she does. She's...difficult to figure out." Tori laughs at him, which causes him to raise an eyebrow quizzically.<br>"Oh, well, if you're going to try and figure my sister out, the best way to do it is not to try so hard. She's really simple for me...it's just finding what makes her happy and what makes her tick that's the kicker. She's so hard for others to figure out on purpose...I'm sure that the only reason I'm able to figure things out about her is that she's so predictable. She never does anything different when it comes to people. Get close enough to find out some information, judge them based on that, and if they don't seem trustworthy, back away and keep a safe distance. She's been hurt a lot, you know, and that's why it's so hard for people to get close to her. The fact that she listens to you and doesn't just push you away means she trusts you more than most. You're lucky, Kyoya. The only other person that I think has gotten that close to her...was someone who hurt her. So I'm going to warn you only once." Tori gives him a serious look, her eyes threatening.

"If you ever hurt my sister or do anything to upset her, rest assured that I will come and make your life a living hell. Wealth or not, I can still take your lame ass in a fight. She's the sweetest person I know and the last thing I want to see is some rich, pompous ass take advantage of her and try to control her with pretty words and filthy, nasty lies. The last time she trusted a guy, she was forever scarred by him. You do anything like that, and I swear I will find some way on this planet to reach your ass and murder you in your sleep. Understood?" Kyoya was amused by these threats. Unrealistic as they were, he got the message and was intrigued by what she'd been telling him. So Maria was sweet and easily hurt by those close to her? So maybe she wasn't so callous and abrasive after all?

And just who was the asshole who made life hell for her? One way or another he would find out...it was a rather intriguing story, one he wanted to know much more about. He smiles at Tori in return.

"There's no need to worry. Rest assured that I have no intention of hurting your sister. She's a respectable person, and I have much to gain from respectable people. After all, wealth or not, it's better to have someone around you who isn't in your world to help you escape from the inanity* of the people you're surrounded with. And if there's anyone who's good for that kind of conversation, it would be your sister. It's been rather pleasant having her around. So, my intentions are pure. Not to worry. I'm enough of a gentleman to know my boundaries and respect them. In the world I live in, you have to be." He says, and she perks up. A smile comes to her face.  
>"Okay, good! Then I wish you luck on your little adventure to whittle your way into her heart. It won't be easy, so you'll need it. But if there's anyone I trust with her, Kyoya, it would be you. I may not know you very well, but I know well enough to know that you're just as sweet and endearing as she is, give or take some evil and manipulative qualities." He smirks and shakes his head. So that's yet another person who can see past the facades. Though, oddly enough, he felt strangely comfortable with Tori being able to see past it. It was the same odd feeling he'd had when Maria had made the same insight. That they wouldn't judge and would keep it to themselves, knowing the truth but respecting that he kept it hidden for a reason. It was something he had come to admire about Maria, out of all the other things he already did admire about her. Tori was no exception. She would make an excellent addition to the Ouran Host Club family...so long as she could manage to get in to Ouran.<p>

"The plans are set. We're to meet back at my place no later than 9:30. It's six now, so that gives us a little time yet. We do have school tomorrow, so we have to get to bed. That includes you, Tori." Maria says to her sibling, who just giggles in return.  
>"Okay! I'll make sure to be home on time." Maria shakes her head, face-palming.<br>"I've already made sure Tamaki knows the time. I was very adamant. You'll be at my door at 9:30 sharp, no later. I even said that if he makes it back early he gets brownie points, though I failed when it came to explaining to him what they were." Tori smiles happily.  
>"Okay! We'll see you guys later then!" And off she goes, dragging Tamaki with her. This left Kyoya and Maria alone, and with Kyoya still pondering the previous conversation with her sister, Maria was alone in consciousness.<p>

"So...now what?" She asked the spectacled boy. He looks up from his thoughts to meet her gaze.  
>"Why ask me?" She face-palms.<br>"You're the one who suggested we split up. You tell me." She says, and he smirks.  
>"It's a little after six. It would make sense to find a nice place to eat. Any suggestions?" She shrugs.<br>"I have no idea what's around here. I've never been to this part of town before." She says, and he motions for her to follow him.  
>"Then I shall lead the way. I know a good bistro down the street, enough to know that we'll have good food, good service, and a private atmosphere." He says, and she nods. The silence that ensues is deafening.<p>

* * *

><p>I can't help feeling a little awkward as I sit here with Kyoya. He's busy talking to the son of the owner of the bistro, apparently someone from our school who I've never seen in my life.<p>

"Kyoya, is this your girlfriend? She's beautiful, if you don't mind me saying so." This gets my attention, and I have to turn away from them. My face heats up in embarrassment. This is why I don't go alone with cute guys in public. They're always mistaken for my boyfriend. I almost feel like I should have a sign that says 'Luck is not kind—he's just a friend'. It would make a whole lot more sense and get rid of the questions. But alas it's not acceptable in public, so I must deal with the stupid questions instead.  
>"Ah, no, she's just a very good friend of mine. She's part of our host club camaraderie. She is captivating though, I will agree with you on that." I want to die right now. This embarrassment is killing me. Stop singing my praises already and just go away.<br>"What's your name, miss?" He asks, and I smile at him.  
>"I'm Maria. It's nice to meet you." He smiles in return, and I can tell from the look in his eyes that he's smitten. Oh well, it's too bad I don't have a thing for rich people.<br>"Oh, it's nice to meet you too. I'm Satoshi. This is my father's bistro. You also attend Ouran, yes?" He asks, and I nod.  
>"I do." He nods.<br>"So then you're Maria from class 2-A, the foreign American commoner. I thought I'd seen you somewhere before." I feel a little like this guy's making fun of me, but every wealthy person who meets me the first time talks to me that way. So I just brush it off.  
>"Yes, that's me." I say, and he turns back to Kyoya.<br>"Well, I have to go, but it was great to see you today, Kyoya. It was nice meeting you too, Maria. I hope you two enjoy your meal. It's on me." He says, and then bows and leaves. Kyoya's smirking by the end of this.

"That was painful. This is why I don't go public places. Too many people asking too many questions." I say, and Kyoya chuckles a little.  
>"It's not too bad. It could have been worse. He could have stayed and tried to win over your affection." I scoff.<br>"Yeah, maybe if he sat there a million years. I'd get so annoyed I'd have to say something eventually, just so he'd go away or shut up." Kyoya shakes his head.  
>"You're very blunt."<br>"You make that sound like a bad thing."  
>"It can be in certain situations, though you seem to be able to be tactful and blunt at the same when in the company of others."<br>"It's too bad you're not lucky enough to be privy to that. If I were that way with you it would be too easy."  
>"And what exactly do you mean when you say 'it'?" I stare at him for a moment, then look away. What had I meant? Why did I say that?<br>"That's for me to know, and for you to find out." I say, trying to cover up that I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. But he seemed to buy it, so with that forgotten, we sunk back into silence. Then, just as the awkwardness built to a max, he breaks it with a question, which is a relief.

"What's it like in America where you live?" He asks, and it's a rather odd question. What does he hope to gain from that? Well, it's conversation and keeps us both engaged instead of sitting here like a couple of retarded vegetables.  
>"Well, I live in Las Vegas currently. That's where my family is, anyway. It's okay, I guess. I have some problems with it there, for the short amount of time that I live there."<br>"And those problems are?"  
>"Well, for one it's really frickin' dry. You have to use lotion all of the time, drink lots of water—which I detest—and make sure you double condition your hair if you want it to look good and not get cooked to death by a straightener and the intense sun waves. It makes for larger consumption on a day-to-day basis, which is really inefficient in a household of five, where five other people are doing the same thing as you are."<br>"Sounds manageable, considering the circumstances. You do live in a desert region."  
>"Not by choice, I assure you. If it had been my choice I would have stayed in Missouri. That's where I was for most of my high school life. I was there from the end of my first year until the near the end of my second, then moved to Nevada. Before that was Iowa. I've lived mostly in the midwest, so that's the place I know the best."<br>"And do you like the midwest?" I nod.  
>"I do. The people are laid back, and they're rather nice. They tend to be ignorant, but that's alright. They're easy to get along with and are all pretty much on the same income level as I am. So we have nothing to complain about or contrast about. We live similar lives and have similar morals. It makes for a nicer community feel overall. I lived in a very small town outside of STL."<br>"STL? An acronym for what?" I laugh at this. I forget that I'm in Japan sometimes when I'm reminiscing. Anyone in the U.S. would get the acronym.  
>"STL stands for Saint Louis. It's the other major city in Missouri besides Kansas City. Then you have smaller ones like Columbia, Springfield, and Joplin and their surrounding suburbs. It's beautiful country, humble and quiet. I liked it there...always great landscapes to paint, and I was never bothered." He nods.<p>

"So, what other things about Nevada don't you enjoy?" I sigh, rolling my eyes and sitting back. How can he honestly be interested in this? I mean really, how much fun is it to listen to someone bitch about something that you have no connection to? I know I don't find it fun.  
>"Well, for one, the people make me look sane and saintlike. They are rude, arrogant, uncaring, and just downright stupid. No one knows how to drive properly, and it seems everyone has a case of the stupid in their family. It just gets worse when they drive. I was very much the outcast, which was one of the reasons why I was so eager to leave. I wasn't much of a socialist, so when I would get invited to parties that more than likely involved drugs and alcohol, I was quick to decline. I wasn't much liked, because I was just too chaste for their tastes. It's Sin City, after all. Too bad I don't fit that description. I made a couple of friends, but it wasn't anything big or special. So I was a loner."<br>"It seems about right. You do come off that way." I shrug.  
>"Yeah, but it's the way things go. They were all too stupid and caught up in their useless drama that I just didn't connect with anyone. I just decided it was better to keep to myself than to stoop to their level and try to make some sort of connection, though I had a feeling no matter how low I stooped I was never going to reach that level." I say. He nods.<p>

"How about your family life? You've mentioned before that you and your father don't get along." I hesitate. Should I tell him? There's no harm in it...he'll probably never meet my father. It's not a comfortable subject for me to talk about, but it's Kyoya. He never seems to have a problem, and he's never been negative about anything I've told him. I'm just glad he listens, because no one else has before.

It's really nice, considering he has nothing to gain from me being here. So I guess I better take advantage of it while he still considers me to be of some worth. Sooner or later he's going to turn into some cold, uninterested bastard. I just have that inkling in me somewhere.

"No, my father and I have a long and hostile past that exploded about the time I turned 12. Only four years ago, but things had built up to that point. They boiled over then, when I expressed to him that I was tired of moving. He tried pulling the same tricks with me he's been pulling his entire life, but I was more mature than that. I wouldn't be convinced by empty words that entranced me as a kid. I stood up for myself and said that it was ridiculous, living the way we were. Traveling from city to city, state to state, just because my father's mouth was just way too big for him to back up. He talked the talk and always has, but doesn't have anything to show for it. I finally told him that it was the last straw when we got to Missouri. But my dad is selfish...he doesn't care about anyone but himself. He claims to love my mother, but I believe that died when she finally started telling him to grow up. When we moved from Missouri I'd had enough. I wasn't going to sit by and continue to be at his mercy. So I changed it, and here I sit. As for my relationships with my sisters and mother...well, my mother's the most amazing person I've ever met. She's my idol, my best friend, my mentor. She's everything to me. She's the one whose been there for me through all of the crap my father has pulled, through all of the insults and put-downs and heartbreaks. She's the one who's helped me out of the worst hole I'd ever dug myself into. If she were to disappear from my life...I would have nothing. She's the only thing that keeps me standing sometimes." I say, looking down at my lap. I really miss her right now. I want to hold her, to hug her and let her tell me things are alright, just like she used to. Having her so far away is really hard and really tough.

"Well, it seems your relationship with your sister is quite healthy." I laugh.  
>"Yeah, I suppose. Tori and I, there's nothing like it when we're actually around each other. She puts on that annoying act on purpose to try and figure out how to make people tick. She's the closest thing to me besides my mother. She's the only one I listen to for boy advice. Her intuition is really good in that regard. She's never been wrong...if that gives you an idea. She and I do everything together, and this is the first time we've ever been separated. I hope she's thinking about changing that...it would be nice if she was here all the time." He nods, and I realize what he did there. He changed the subject to Tori because he saw how sad I was. I may be naïve sometimes, but I recognized that.<p>

That's so sweet. I'm a little touched, no sarcasm intended. How thoughtful of him.

"And your other sister?" I smile warmly, putting a hand on my heart.  
>"Ana. She's the world to me...she's my little sister, and she's 12 right now, but she means everything to me. I've been the one whose looked after her and guided her. She looks up to me and, sometimes, I like to think of her as one of my own. She's always been extremely sensitive to my father, probably because she wants him to be the father he's supposed to be instead of the one he isn't. I've helped raise her with my mother and have tried to make sure she understands that she can do whatever she wants regardless of what he says. My entire life he's told me you can't make a living as an artist, and he's always told Tori she would never be anything because she's a slut, and that's she'll be pregnant right out of high school. The last thing I wanted for Ana was to have her dealing with those same words in a different way. I've nurtured her so she can do whatever she wants. I'm an artist, Tori's a musician, and Ana...she's a combination of both. My only goal is to be able to get her away from my father, too. If it was up to me...and if I could support my family...I would make my mother divorce my father and move them over here with me."<p>

It's silent between us. Those words...I hadn't expected them to come out so quickly and so easily. When did they arise? Since when have I felt like this?

"So...do you hate your father?" He asks me softly. I guess he can tell I'm shocked by my own words.  
>"...Well, if you look at all I've said, it makes sense. My father will always be my father, and I guess I'll always love him as such. But that doesn't mean I have to like him otherwise. So yeah, I guess...I guess I do hate him. Wow, that's...hard to say. And it just tastes so wrong."<br>"But it's the truth. You aren't lying...that much I can tell." He says. I nod, looking him in the eyes. I see for a moment sincere concern. I'm glad that he's listening to me, at least. I haven't been able to tell this to anybody because Tori refuses to listen. She likes her fantasy world where everything is rainbows and sparkles. That's fine, but I live in the real world. Unfortunately I'm the only one with thoughts so dark in my family, so that leaves me utterly alone with my thoughts. It feels good to say something to someone who has no clue who these people are and is completely unbiased.

Things are silent, so instead I ask a question.

"What about you, Kyoya? What's your family like?" The look on his face makes me feel like I stepped on a land mine. It must not be great...maybe that's why he's a good listener. He's got his fair share of crap in his family life, too. That makes things a little bit more comfortable for me, at least. That way I'm not talking complete nonsense to him. He understands more than I thought.  
>"I'm the third son in my family. My father's an extremely influential businessman, a jack-of-all-trades with large investments in the medical and tourism fields. My older brothers work for my father, and have achieved great success all on their own by following the paths that were laid in front of them. I've had to work harder to impress my father, because he has yet to decide who he's going to give the inheritance. It's a free-for-all, in some regard. Whoever manages to yield the most success and the most potential is the one he'll give the inheritance. As it looks, I have more to go before I'm eligible, and both of my brothers have gone through medical school or are still on their way to finishing. I have yet to complete high school, so it's highly unlikely that I'll ever succeed them. Nevertheless, that's not going to deter me from trying." I nod.<p>

I understand where he's coming from. Having to work twice as hard comes naturally to me only because if I want something, I have to work for it. I have no money to invest in myself, so I have to earn everything by my sweat and tears. I understand what he's saying, and I can't help sympathizing.

"I think you'll do it." He gives me a look that's rather inquisitive. Does he not take me seriously?  
>"I mean it, Kyoya. I think you'll succeed. My entire life I've had to work harder than everyone else, twice as hard, three times, four times, it didn't matter. If you work as hard as you can whatever you get in return is well worth what you put in. If you get something poor, well, that means you just need to work even harder. I understand where you're coming from and...I respect that about you. It's hard for me to like someone in your circle, someone who possesses more money and power than they know what to do with. You're working hard...and I respect that. Anyone who works hard deserves some respect...after all, what's the point in life it you aren't working toward a goal? If you're going to be idle and spend money and waste your time, that's all well and good if you have that luxury, but you'll have nothing to show for it. Accomplishing something through your own sweat and tears...now that's something to respect and be proud of. So I'll stand behind you and say you'll be the one with the inheritance in the end, because if your brothers have followed the paths laid out for them, they've only ever done what they had to. No more, no less. I just don't see you being content with that." I say. Our food finally arrives, and there's a fork on my plate, which makes me glad. I won't look like a fool asking for one, then.<p>

"...Do you really mean that?" He asks, and I look at him as if he's stupid. Does he take me for an idiot? Does he think I'd lie to him?  
>"Yeah, dummy. I don't say what I don't mean. No point in lying to you. Honesty's better than anything, far as I'm concerned." I say, starting to eat. He has yet to touch his food. What is he waiting for? Stop staring at me and eat! Don't sit there and make me feel like a pig.<br>"This is good. Thanks for taking me here." I say softly, continuing to eat.  
>"No...thank you for your support. I'm honored you respect me, enough to say something so...insightful and intuitive. It sounds odd, coming from you." I shrug.<br>"Eh, what can I say. I'm just the nicest person in the world, that's all." He smirks, then goes to eat. We eat in a much more comfortable silence. I know he hasn't told me the entire thing, but I haven't told him everything either. It's a good place to stop...the subject was getting a bit heavy anyway. But...tonight's been eye-opening for me. I didn't think he had it so tough...I can't help but respect and admire him a little more. It's a little hard for me to be such an ass to him now...though that won't stop me from doing it.

I'll just be a little nicer, that's all. He's not so bad after all. Now that I understand him a little more...he's actually quite likeable. He's not so bad when he lets down the icy wall and the bastardly act. Though he's still downright manipulative and evil. That much I will still pin on him.

* * *

><p><strong>There's the next chapter for you! I may update again this weekend, but I have a lot of studying and writing to do for college since I have finals next week. So it depends on how I feel when I get all of that done this weekend. Thanks so much and I love you all so very much!<strong>

**Much love and many thanks!**

**~B-chan**


	13. Getting to Know You Part 3

**Alright! Here's the next chapter.**

**First, I have to dedicate this chapter to my wonderful reviewers. Thanks so much to Thirsty4MoreBloodAndWords13, Carrie, and Almathia for reviewing and leaving me such wonderful comments. I love and appreciate every one of you!**

**So, I have a question. I have over 30 visitors per chapter. But only about 10 of you actually tell me anything. What's up with that? I know I've said that I don't really care if you review or not, that as long as you read I'm okay, but surely some of you have something to say? Criticism, things you like, things you want? I'd love to hear suggestions from you all. I have a good idea as to what to do with the story but seeing as I've got so much unedited and written, I'd love to hear suggestions from you guys. I think it would be very awesome for my readers to suggest me things!**

**Oh, and I am also going to put up a side chapter (if I get enough people to ask, hehe) of people asking questions of Maria, Tori, and the Host Club in the context of this story. So if you review with your questions I will most definitely have all of my characters (created or stolen for temporary use, hehe) answer any questions you have. I know I've given you a lot of info on Maria and Tori, but if there are still some questions you have now would be the time to ask them! I look forward to what you guys have to ask! (Oh and I do not own the Host Club, I am just borrowing them for now. They belong to Bisco Hatori-san)  
><strong>

**So now, I present to you chapter 13 and it's shortness. I have lots more in the works but as I said, it is unedited and rather rough. You may hate the things I do to Maria and Kyoya for a little while later on, but just bear with me. I hope you enjoy and tell me what you think!**

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><p>"It's almost nine, Kyoya. Why are we back so early?" I ask, and he shrugs.<br>"There was nothing very interesting out there anymore. I was bored." I shrug and go to open the door with my key. The door pops open and I turn on a light, leaving my shoes at the door.  
>"I'm still surprised when I see your living arrangements, Maria. This apartment is not at all conventional. Tile and carpet, no tatami mats, American decorations...there's certainly a Western feel in this place." I shrug.<br>"Yeah, well, it's what I'm used to. What can I say...I miss some of the things that I had in America." I say, heading back to my room. I find it in pristine condition...since when did that happen? It must have been Tori's doing. Nonetheless, I've never seen the place look so good.

Then, I gasp as I look up on my walls.

"Oh, Tori...you hung up my paintings." I say to myself softly. I can only gawk at how she's arranged the place. It's always been a bit of a shame that, when I get paintings back from teachers, they go into a filing unit that I have in the back of my closet and never see sunlight again. She's found some of my favorites and hung them on the walls, all those of landscapes and animals. She found my charcoal, my chalk, oil pastels, sketches, paintings...the things she loves the most.  
>"Maria, where are you?" I go to answer him, but I can't seem to mutter much of a sentence staring at these paintings everywhere. I just hope she didn't damage the walls putting them up.<br>"Is this your room?" I turn a little to see Kyoya standing there in the doorway, and I nod.  
>"Yeah, it is. It's my art studio and my bedroom. It's the same way it was when I was at home, although...the paintings are a nice touch." He quirks an eyebrow at me.<br>"You don't have paintings hanging?" I shake my head.  
>"Nope, they go into a storage unit when I get them back or finish them. Nothing ever becomes of them...I have at least a hundred more at home. The storage unit in my closet is almost full...I don't know what I'm going to do about getting another one." I say to myself, walking up to my favorite painting on the wall. I just stare at it, gazing for a very long time.<p>

"This sketch is quite exquisite. Rather simple, but elegant." I smile at his compliment over my shoulder.  
>"Yes, well, it's my favorite. It's a sketch I did of a raven that was sitting not even ten feet from me. I didn't move an inch except to draw it for nearly an hour...only to find out that the thing was fake. But I brought it to life, and I'm proud of it." He laughs.<br>"Only something so trivial would happen to you." I shrug.  
>"It's true. But as you can see, I only do landscapes and wildlife...oh, except for this one, haha." I say, tracing my finger over the portrait I did of my mother this past summer.<br>"Your mother, I presume?" I nod.  
>"Yes. This picture hardly captures half of her, though. She's so much more than this flat image. She's the most beautiful woman I know, and I don't think a thousand different portraits from a thousand different angles could ever hope to capture her full beauty. You'd have to experience her to know what I'm talking about." I say, tracing her jawline. I trace her neck and left should as it dims into the surrounding area. It's a head shot, only from the shoulders up, that I got her to sit still for one time.<p>

"You must love her very much." I nod.  
>"Like I said before, she's everything to me." I say softly, taking my finger from the painting to stare at it again.<br>"I see where you get your looks from. Your mother is a beautiful woman." I smile at this, a genuine smile coming to my face.  
>"You have no idea." I say softly. Everything's silent for a moment, and I'm fully aware of just how close he's standing behind me. I have to break this heavy tension, one way or another.<br>"If you have so many of these paintings, you should think about have an exhibition to sell your art. If you have quite a few of this quality, I'm sure you can get a decent price for them." He says, and I slip behind him to sit on my bed.  
>"Yeah, I guess that'd be a good idea. I've been thinking about it, but I was going to wait until Christmas to do that. I have a lot of snowy landscapes that I did while living in Missouri and Iowa that are really pretty...though I'll have to have my mother send them to me. I have the storage unit down the street, so I'll just have her send all of my paintings together...when I get the money to send to her, that is." I hear the door and stand to make my way to the foyer.<p>

"Mari-chan! It's good to see you made it home. Kyoya wasn't too mean, was he?" I laugh at this as Tamaki sweeps his way into my apartment.  
>"Oh, he was just awful. I mean, come on, he's such a meany...you shouldn't even have to ask." The sarcasm was pretty thick, but it was all well and good. I was teasing, anyway. Kyoya comes up behind me, hands in his pockets.<br>"I could hardly suppress my anger, Tamaki. After all, she is quite irritating." He's laying it on even thicker, which makes it that much funnier.  
>"Oh, stop it you two! Don't pick on Tamaki like that!" My sister's voice is like an instant poison to my ears. The amount of...sweetness in her voice makes me want to gag.<br>"Well, it is now 9:15, so I think it is time that we gentlemen take our leave and let you two ladies get some beauty sleep, though I assure you that neither of you need it." I roll my eyes. Lay on the cheese a little more, Tamaki. Go ahead.  
>"Alright. I guess we'll see you guys tomorrow, then?" I say, and Tamaki nods, getting down on one knee and taking my hand. Just as he goes to kiss it, I pull it away.<br>"Save it." I say, and he pouts. He makes his way to my sister and does the same movement, only this time she allows him to kiss her hand. I sigh and shake my head, hands on my hips. One hand is stolen and I don't react quickly enough to pull it away. That, and the near iron grip on my fingers doesn't let me pull away.

That clever bastard.

He kisses my hand, then looks at me with a sly smirk on his face. I still have one hand on my hip as I glare at him.

"I shall bid my leave of you, madam. The evening was splendid!" I hear Tamaki say, and look to see him holding my sister. She's battering her eyes and giggling, laying it on very thick. The grip on my hand loosens, and I'm quick to pull it away.  
>"Why so hasty? You didn't seem to mind that much, Maria." I glare at the cool type, a hip thrust to the side. I'm clearly sassing him, though I'm not sure he'd get it if I told him so.<br>"Yeah, okay, says the boy who had an iron grip on my fingers. When are you going to learn that I don't like that?" I'm lying, of course, but it's anything to get him to stop. It's too embarrassing for words, as touching as the meaning is. He simply smirks at me.  
>"Alright, when you put it that way..." He says softly, and I sigh, shaking my head. He makes his way past me, where I see Tori standing with Tamaki outside. Kyoya walks outside, pulling Tamaki along with him, successfully separating Tori and Tamaki with little more than a goodbye. I drag her back into the apartment and shut the door, locking it. I turn and see her walking around in a daze. I faceplam, shaking my head.<br>"Oh, Maria, Tamaki is the cutest thing! I can't believe guys like that actually exist! I only ever thought they lived in the fake world of shoujo manga..." I shrug.  
>"Well, Tori, I do have some unfortunate news. Tamaki's smitten with someone else."<br>"I know. He told me. But he said that if things don't go well, he wants to try to be with me. I respect a man when he knows what he wants. It doesn't hurt me in the least, because regardless of what he says, I will make him love me. I have no doubt that soon enough I will entrance him enough to forget everything about this other girl and only think about me."

God, she sounds as ridiculous as he does.

"Okay, as long as you understand that things may not go your way, then it's your decision. Besides, I thought you were the one who told me that long distance relationships don't work." She nods.  
>"I still believe that. But you told me you wanted me to apply to Ouran...we're going to get the paperwork tomorrow, right?" I nod.<br>"So there's nothing to worry about. As long as my audition with the music department on Wednesday goes well, I should be just fine. What do you have to do to maintain your scholarship?" She asks me.  
>"I have to make sure to be the top female in my grade. They knew I couldn't beat Kyoya, who's numero uno, but my grades were good enough to take the top female spot without a problem. So long as I stay there, I'll keep my scholarship. They'll do the same thing for you, I'm sure, if you've got the grades." She sniffs, putting her nose in the air.<br>"Oh, I do. We're both perfect 4.0 students, aren't we? Mama and Papa were when they were in school, too, and Ana's no slouch either. Why Mama and Papa didn't go to college, well, that's a whole other story." I laugh at this, sitting on my bed and flopping over on it. She sits down at the foot of it.  
>"So, like what I did to the room?" I nod.<br>"Yeah, it looks great. I love that you put my art on the wall...especially the one I did of mom. Kyoya really liked it, too. I guess that means I did a good job, huh?" She laughs.  
>"Sis, you really are too modest. You should try to accept things from other people. Tamaki told me you don't like to be waited on or doted on...as far as I knew you didn't mind it so much. Why is that so different here?"<p>

That's a good question. She's right...I never used to be the way I am now. I never used to be so abrasive and rude, so callous and pushy, so ungrateful and mean. I used to be really nice to everyone, and I used to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I never used to think poorly of anyone...but my past wasn't kind. It took only one person to change everything. I used to be unbiased toward everyone, including rich people. I realized, after what happened, if I acted the way I used to with these rich kids that they would take advantage of me. And the last thing I wanted was to be taken advantage of again.

"Tori...if I act that way at school, people will take advantage of me. Those rich kids are all out to get those of us middle class folk. They don't care about anyone but themselves and don't care who they step on to get what they want. If you warn them off of you, they stay away from you. It saves me hassle and pain and keeps me from losing my sanity in the process."  
>"But...why act that way with the host club? They all want to dote on you. They want to treat you like a princess...did you know that Tamaki thought of you as the host club's princess the moment he met you and you accepted his invitation? Did you know he likes that you come to the club and that you get along with everyone? He does, you know. He especially likes it that you give Kyoya a run for his money. Gives the numero uno something to do, he says." She explains, using my words when referring to Kyoya.<br>"Did he really say that?" She nods.  
>"Yeah, he did. He wants you to accept what they offer. I told him that you have a problem accepting things from others in general, but that at home you were pretty open and accepting when it came to some of your friends. He said that the host club never means any ill will toward anyone. Tamaki likes you, Maria, because you're so modest and pushy. But sometimes you should accept the things people give you. Kyoya isn't out to get you, you know. Accepting little things that he does for you wouldn't hurt. After all, with a hottie like that knocking at your door, you don't want to scare him off." I scoff.<br>"He's not easily scared, Tori. I don't think an army of SWAT could get him to leave me alone." She laughs.

"Then accept him, silly! He likes you well enough. He thinks you're interesting and hard to figure out. That means he likes you! Don't try so hard to close people off, and accept the fact that you actually like this guy."  
>"I would, except that I don't like him."<br>"Yes you do. I can see it in your eyes."  
>"Tori, I'm dead serious. I don't like the guy as anything more than a friend."<br>"Yeah you do."  
>"Do not."<br>"Do too."  
>"Shut up."<br>"Snappy comeback."

"Just...you don't get it. Whatever." I say, but she laughs at me anyway.  
>"Of course I do. You're always this way when you meet a guy you really like. Angry, confused, upset, and defensive. You are an angry romantic." I laugh at this.<br>"That's hilarious, Tori. I don't have a romantic bone in my body."  
>"Yeah, you do. You're the sappiest, sweetest, most romantic person I know, and don't say I'm wrong, because it's true. You just want to keep up that tough image, so you pretend you don't. If I ever told Kyoya that you are an obsessive romantic, he would fall all over himself just to impress you. But that would make things too easy for him, so I won't do that." I face-palm.<br>"You make me sound like a girl."  
>"Well, unless your tits are fake and you have men's genitals, then technically you're a girl."<br>"That sounds so bad coming from you."  
>"But it's true. Oh, and by the way, Tamaki says that Kyoya's madly in love with you. I told him he was full of it, but that I do think you two would make an interesting and very romantic couple. You two suit each other." I swing my arms out.<p>

"Since when is it your past time to talk about my love life? Like really?"  
>"So you like him, yes?" I sigh. She's never going to drop this.<br>"He's an interesting person. We had a long talk at dinner tonight about our families, and it helped me understand him a little better. Other than that, no, I don't like him. You romanticize everything I say and do, but no, I like the guy as a friend and nothing more. End of story, and I am done talking about it." I say, and she just shakes her head.  
>"You two just need to break the tension and make out already. Jeez, with the way the two of you glare at each other I'd swear you two were secret lovers."<br>"That's...no comment. Just stop. I'm done listening to your idiocy." And with that, the pillow fight ensues.

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><p><strong>Haha, I love that chapter. It's so cute and simple. I love how clueless Maria is. I love her no matter how frustrating she is.<strong>

**So, like I said, ask questions and give me suggestions and if I get enough questions then I will post a side chapter where my characters answer all of your questions! I love you guys!**

**All my love and gratitude!**

**~B-chan**


	14. Tori's First Day at Ouran: Devil's Trill

**Alright guys! Here's the next chapter. It's rather short, but I'm taking my time with the progression of the story. I haven't updated as much because I keep hoping I get more and more review than two per chapter but...well I guess I'll just have to put out more good stuff, eh?**

**Speaking of reviews, I'd like to thank EowynAhsokaLover and Carrie again for reviewing. I love it when you guys review. I haven't gotten anything bad yet, which I'm thankful for, but I'd sure like to hear even more from the rest of you! And don't forget to send me questions in your reviews or a PM if you have questions for the characters, Ouran or otherwise, in context of this story. I love you guys!**

**Alright, onto the very short, very much filler chapter 14!**

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><p><em>{Tori's First Day at Ouran}<em>

"So you and Maria live in Las Vegas? Is it true that there's a replica of the Statue of Liberty there? And there are lots of casinos and a gondola in one of the hotels?" The girls are asking tons of questions, and I find it ironic that this is a host club, but we are girls entertaining girls. Though they're more interested in our American life than anything else. Nevertheless we have about eight girls just gathered around us with tea.

"Well, you must be talking about New York, New York. That's a casino and hotel on the strip. The one with the Gondolas is the Venetian casino and hotel. There's also a pyramid, the Luxor, and Mandalay Bay, where they have the shark reef and the never-ending stage play The Lion King. The Venetian has the Blue Man Group all of the time, too." Tori says. I can't help finding this funny. She's never been to any of those places and knows so much about them. I've taken a few trips to the strip with my friends and seen these places, but none of the ones she mentioned are my favorite.

"There's also that acrobatics troupe, right? What's it called?" I manage to say something this time.

"Cirque du Soleil. They play all over Vegas...there's many different kinds. There's one called Mystere, The Beatles LOVE, another one called Viva Elvis, and then the one I went and saw, which was called O. I think there's also Zumanity, but I'm not sure so don't quote me. They're really good, but the tickets are so expensive. The only reason I was ever able to see the show was because a friend of mine knew someone who got great discounts on tickets, and his parents bought them for us."

"Ooh! That's so many...where was that at?"

"It was the Bellagio hotel and casino. They also have a botanical garden and a fountain show as well. It's by far my favorite place on the strip. I don't think I could ever get tired of the fountain show...though I've never gone to the finale that starts at 11:30 PM. But it's breathtaking and super romantic. I recommend it for everyone who goes to Vegas."

"You never did take me to it, sis." I nod.

"I know, but I just never had the time. You know that both of us were super busy with our activities. You have to remember that I was balancing band, choir and art all at the same time. I didn't sleep most days." I remind her, and she nods.

"Still, we should have taken a free weekend to go down there so that we could see it. I've only been to the strip twice..." I laugh.

"It's okay, but it's not like the place is that spectacular. After you've been to every sight, there's nothing to do unless you have money to splurge on night shows. And anything good you want to see you have to wait for anyway, because you aren't old enough for any of the clubs or anything." Not that I was either, but that's just a fact.

"Oh, it sounds like there's so much to do there!" One of the girls coos. I shrug.

"Yeah, just don't try to live there as a middle class citizen. Trying to make ends meet is just...nearly impossible."

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><p>The rest of the afternoon is filled with girls coming and going, and the same stories were told over and over. How can these people do this host thing every day? I feel like I'm going to implode. I have a headache from hell and I've managed to misplace my sibling. I need to find her so we can go home and fill out her paperwork. But it doesn't seem like that's going to happen if I can't manage to locate her. I hear something from the other room, and decide that maybe I should look there. I open one of the doors in music room #3, and piano music floods my ears. I recognize the piece almost instantly. I close the door very quietly as I wait to hear the soft whine of Tori's violin.<p>

I walk a little closer and stand off to the side. It's Yanni's 'End of August', and it's absolutely gorgeous. It's the piece Tori chose to audition with to show her musicality. Her technical piece is her rendition of the 'Devil's Trill', which is said to be impossible to play. With Tamaki on the piano, things definitely won't go wrong. Anything she messes up on will be her fault completely.

When her violin comes in, I close my eyes. The last time I heard Tori play...when was it? I don't even remember. But hearing the yearning, longing sounds from it pulls at my heart strings. The parts she plays in the song aren't the largest parts, but the music is so beautiful that she wanted to play it. And it really is beautifully done. Her long drone notes in the background and soft melody lines behind the piano is what really adds to the piece. She's rearranged the piece so that she could play the background stuff as well as the melody. I know everything that went into this piece of music and every other piece she's ever played. Sadly, I've never been able to hear how they turned out.

"It's beautiful." I hear from beside me, and I nod.  
>"It is. It's my first time hearing Tori play her violin in forever. I didn't realize how much I've missed out on." I say to Kyoya, opening my eyes and watching Tori as she sways with the music, a smile on her face.<br>"You don't hear her play often?" I shake my head.  
>"No. She's in orchestra at home, and I was always in band. Our paths didn't cross very often. She never practices at home because of the crap she gets from my father. So I never get to hear her play. I help her with the music when it comes to arrangements and stuff, but I never get to hear how they turn out. This is the first time...in a really long time." I say as the song comes to an end.<br>"I didn't know you played anything. What instrument?" I shrug.  
>"It doesn't matter. You wouldn't know what it was even if I told you." I walk toward Tori, a smile on my face.<p>

"Beautiful, Tori! That was great!" She beams at me, coming over to me and giving me a big hug.  
>"Thanks! You want to hear the other one?" I shrug.<br>"Sure. I don't mind that. Are you sure you can play it?" I challenge her, and she just gives me a devilish smirk.  
>"Weren't you the one always telling me when we were younger that I was the devil incarnate?"<br>"I guess we'll find out if I was right, won't we?" She laughs, standing in front of me in a very dramatic stance, and started on the fourth movement of the piece, arguably the most difficult part of the song. She whips through it as if it were nothing.

She's going to ace this audition, I just know it.

The song really sounds like the devil is laughing at you at the end, like he really does take over you while you play it. But it sounds great, and she hit the right notes and rhythms from memory. I'm very proud, to say the least. I know how hard it is as a musician to do things like that. I'm glad she's so good at it, and it makes me miss playing a little bit. But regardless of that, I'm proud of her.

"So, I take it you're going to be her accompanist, Tamaki? I was going to ask you anyway, but now I don't have to." I say as he smiles at me.  
>"I would be honored, princess. I will do all that is within my power to make her sound as wonderful as possible." I nod, turning to Tori as she swings her violin case over her shoulder.<br>"Tori, we better head home and start on that paperwork. It's going to take us well into the evening. We'll probably end up making a call to mama as well." I tell her as we make our way back to the other room so I can grab my stuff.

This is going to be one long night for the both of us. The paperwork was extensive when I did it the first time. I'm paying her application fees and audition fees and whatever else they decide to charge her. If things go splendidly, I'll have enough money to send for my hundred or so paintings sitting at home. I need them, and soon, because who knows how long it will take to get them here by plane and the extra money would be nice. I need to go clothes shopping. I've lost a whole lot of weight since I got here, since I don't eat as much as I used to. I need that money, bad.

"Maria, have you lost weight? I don't remember that shirt looking so big on you." Tori says, almost as if reading my mind.  
>"Yeah. Twenty pounds and counting." She laughs.<br>"Damn. Well, that will change when you come home this summer. You'll gain it all back, since you eat so much." I punch her in the arm as we laugh all the way home.

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><p><strong>The next few parts of the story progress rather quickly, and these chapters are kind of just fluffy filler stuff. After Tori goes back to the states things will be more or less back to a normal, slow pace. Please review and let me know what you think as well as ask any questions you may have! <strong>

**Love you guys!**

**~B-chan**


	15. Peace?  I Don't Think So, Maria Says

**Alright my lovelies! Here is chapter fifteen for you!**

**I'll dedicate this chapter to EowynAhsokaLover and AhhMyLife for being my latest reviewers. You guys are great and I love what you have to say. I'm glad you like what I'm putting into this story! It's been a lot of fun, let me tell you.**

**I will also dedicate this chapter to AhhMyLife as well as Lorna Roxen for favoriting/alerting this story. Thank you for wanting to continue to read this story! I appreciate it so much!**

**So, this chapter is also short, but I did just come out of finals week, as I'm sure many of you were enduring also. With the semester over and Christmas on it's way, I'm glad that soon enough I will be writing the Christmas chapter in my story. If you guys don't review and spur me on, however, it could be January before you guys get to read it...so much has happened after this point. But things will definitely pick up from here. You will have to forgive me if the story seems a little...rushed and stupid at some parts later on. Maria isn't exactly the easiest person to write at times, and she does a lot of stupid things. You will hate her and then love her again. And that pattern will continue. Just a fair warning.**

**Enjoy this short filler chapter and I will try to post another chapter before I go to Zion National Park this week. I love you guys and thanks so much for the support!**

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><p><em>{Thursday}<em>

Tori is driving me bonkers. And Tamaki sure isn't helping any.

The first time, on Tuesday, I thought was a total accident. On Wednesday, I thought it was Tori being distracted with her audition. But today, too, it happened. Now I know she's trying to set me up. She's not very sneaky, that's for sure. Did she honestly think one of us wouldn't notice her antics?

What am I talking about, you ask? Well, it has something to do with Tori, Kyoya, and my habits of accidentally 'tripping' over my own feet. My sister has been pushing me, tripping me, and putting objects in my path in order to make me fall on Kyoya. She's trying to set me up. She's been doing it all week, and with Tamaki at her side, this is really getting on my nerves. At home she doesn't leave me alone about my liking him, which certainly isn't true. But it's even worse at school when I have to watch my back constantly. It's extremely annoying. I've had to avoid Kyoya like the plague, even to the point where I don't go to the host club after school and instead go to the art room. Tori gets upset when I do this.

"You should be with your friends instead of being a reject!" She tells me.

Well maybe I would if you would stop trying to trip me all of the time. You're making things worse by doing that. My friendship with Kyoya is tentative to my moods anyway, so by you pissing me off you're making it worse.

So here I sit in the art room, having again avoided another catastrophe by falling over in front of Kyoya instead of on him like my sister had planned. So now I am letting my embarrassment wane as I paint a still life. It's basically a fruit assortment, kind of cliché, but it's something different from landscapes and it's graded. So it's a pleasant break from the norm.

I hear the art room door open and manage to ignore it as I continue. This is oil paints, so I'm managing to go slow and take my time so that I don't mess up my clothes too much.

"I thought I'd find you in here. It seems you've been avoiding the club lately." I look over at Kyoya, and I sigh.  
>"There's a reason for that, in case you haven't noticed by now." I grumble, angrily painting a bunch of grapes that's hanging over the edge of the fruit bowl.<br>"Your sister is never one for subtlety, is she?" I shake my head.  
>"Never. The word isn't even in her vocabulary. It's a quality that she shares with Tamaki, that's for sure." I say, wiping off my hands and taking the paint palette to the sink to wash it off. I have let the oil paint set before I do any more. Plus I don't really want to do any more right now.<p>

"So what do you think she's trying to get at, with all of this nonsense she's pulling?" I laugh. Is he really that dense?  
>"She's trying to put me in a hospital, I know it." I say, sarcasm obvious. Who knows if he'll get it.<br>"I highly doubt that's the case. She's not really causing you any physical harm, just embarrassment. I don't think I've seen you fall as much the entire time I've known you." I shrug.  
>"She's <em><strong>attempting<strong>_—and I'm using that word with as much emphasis as possible—to create chemistry between you and I. She has it stuck in her head that we are compatible. I've been trying to get her to knock it off, but it doesn't seem like she even hears me half the time. It'll be nice when she's on a plane back home on Sunday. That way I won't have to deal with it anymore...it's so embarrassing and so immature of her. She could at least find another way to do it, something that wouldn't cause physical harm or embarrassment." I manage to grumble out, mostly talking to myself as I bustle about the room.  
>"She should leave well enough alone, in my opinion." I nod in agreement at his statement. That's for damn sure!<br>"Yes, I agree. But try telling her that...she won't hear it." I say, grabbing my stuff. I have to go find my sibling so we can go home. I've managed to scrape some money together to ship my paintings over here, so I have to call my mother when I get home. So we need to go, and soon. Plus I'm irritable and tired and want to relax this evening, though it seems unlikely that will happen, with all that's been going on.

"So, any particular reason why you decide to visit me?" I ask him, and he pushes up his glasses.  
>"Your sister is causing a disturbance. I have come to ask you to remove her from the premises." I face-palm.<br>"Damn her...alright. I'll retrieve the idiot and we'll leave. Sorry about that...I should have been watching her." I grumble, huffing as I led the way to the music room.

When I enter, it really is a war zone. Tamaki is so busy flirting with Tori that his guests are getting angry. Dammit, Tori, this has got to stop!

"Tori, we're leaving. Let's go, now. And don't you dare argue with me." I say as she pouts in my general direction.  
>"But, but...Maria! I'm not even—"<br>"Now, Tori. Don't argue with me, just do as I say. I have no patience to deal with your crap right now. Let's go." I say as she gets up, a look of disappointment on her face. As guilty as I feel, I know I have an obligation to the host club as well. It's my fault for leaving her unattended.  
>"Sorry again, Kyoya. I'll make sure not to leave her anywhere without my supervision. Thanks for letting me know."<br>"Oh, it's no problem at all. Thank you for removing her." I nod, pulling the whiny baby along.

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><p>"What did I do? Why did we have to come home?" I turn on her as we get in the apartment.<br>"You were disturbing the host club, Tori! It's not your playground, do you understand? I have an obligation to that host club, and I don't appreciate you acting any damn way you please because you're some lovesick teenage moron. I would appreciate you having some more respect for not only me, but for the other members of the host club as well. That club was around before either of us were. We have to respect that. And you made me look like a moron back there."  
>"I did not! I wasn't doing anything wrong!"<br>"You were distracting Tamaki. He's the most important member of the club. He's the one that brings in most of the profits. That club is around because of him. You pissed off a lot of people today, me included. You made me look horrible. I knew I shouldn't have left you unattended, regardless of how annoying you were being to me."  
>"What's that supposed to mean?"<br>"Don't think I haven't noticed the crap you've been pulling the past few days. I don't know when you'll get it through your head, Tori, but you need to leave things well enough alone that don't involve you. There's more to it than just you, Tori. I don't like what you've been doing, embarrassing me and hurting me this entire week. I've had enough, so stop it. Some is okay, but a whole lot of it was unnecessary. Knock it off before I send your ass back home early." I say, putting my things away.

"But...Maria, I swear, I wasn't doing anything back there! I was just with Tamaki, that's all."  
>"I understand that Tori, but Tamaki has other customers that pay to come and see him. You have to learn to stay out of the way if you're going to be around the host club. We're lucky we aren't forced to pay. So stay out of the way of those that have to, alright?"<br>"Is that why you paint instead of participating? Because you don't pay?"  
>"Among other things. I think the host club idea is dumb, personally, but hey. Whatever gets them through the day. Kyoya allows me to stay because I bring some profit to the club. Some girls like to come and watch me paint. I don't get what could be so fascinating, but they pay to watch me paint now. So Kyoya let's me stay. That and Tamaki wants me to. It's all really weird and rather hard to explain. But hopefully someday I'll understand what they want from me or could gain from me being there." I say, and then she's silent.<p>

Ah, peace and quiet. It's a glorious thing.

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><p>The blessed day has arrived. Tori is leaving me, going back home. I think it's given my father enough time to reflect upon his stupidity and bear the brunt of my mother's anger and ferocity. I understand that if she gets accepted to Ouran that she'll be with me constantly, but she's more mellow when she's given time to settle down. It's when she isn't given that time that she becomes uncontrollable. When she's gone, I will be much happier.<p>

However, if Tamaki doesn't let her get on the plane, I will be severely pissed. I'm currently standing in the airport with Tori, waiting in her terminal. We're an hour early, and I've been subjected to the presence of not only Tamaki, but Kyoya as well. Heavens help me. The entire host club is on their way as well to bid Tori a farewell.

They arrive minutes before she's going to leave, and I just keep hoping the minutes will pass faster. I want her gone already. That way I can relax a little more. Next time I will be more prepared to receive her than this time. I need time to recuperate.

"Okay, well I guess I've got to head out, y'all!" I face-palm. Does she really have to let her inner hick show at this moment?  
>"My darling, I cannot wait to rest my eyes upon you again. Until then, adieu and safe travels!" She smiles happily, then bounds over to me.<br>"I guess I'll see you this summer, right? You're still coming home for your birthday, right?" I nod with a smile.  
>"Yeah, for sure. Don't get into too much trouble. Mama will be waiting for you in L.A.X. Don't be a pain, alright? Leave everything to me when it comes to Ouran. I'll take care of everything." I tell her. She beams.<br>"Thanks! If I don't get in, I'm blaming you. Just going to tell you that right now." I roll my eyes at this. She waves the others off, and they begin to leave. When they call her plane again, she turns to Kyoya.

"You know, I really like you. Keep my sister in check, will you? She gets really lonely, even though she doesn't like to admit it. Keep her involved in what the club does. It's good to see her having friends again. Oh, and if you go for her, I totally support you all the way! You two would be so cute together!" I feel my face heat up and I get angry. But he simply smirks.  
>"I'll do my best." He says, and I face-palm.<p>

Could this really get any worse? Not only has my sister come out and plainly said that Kyoya and I should get together, but Kyoya is going along with her idiocy.

What is this world coming to?

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><p><strong>Haha, I swear, Maria is going to go insane before this story is over. I just know it. This is certainly a flashback, considering where I'm at in writing the story now...though I'm been stuck on the same few sentences for a week now. Ah, well, hopefully the trip to Zion will help to spark my creativity.<strong>

**Anyways, my lovelies, again much love and thank yous for all of you who review/favorite/alert this story. I'm having so much fun with it. I hope you continue on with the wonderful comments. I look forward to hearing more from you!**

**All my love!**

**~B-chan**


	16. Swimsuit Drama: The Twins Pull Punches

**Yay! I'm so happy! My prayers have been answered and I've gotten a ton of feedback in the past few days! I knew the dry spell had to be attributed to finals and/or sickness. I just knew it!**

**Anyways, I am excited and SO happy to dedicate this chapter to four separate reviewers! One was anonymous...which made me happy and sad at the same time. She called herself the 'Random Person'. So thanks for anonymously reviewing! Also, much love and thanks to LunarMagick, Half-Angel-Writer, and AhhMyLife for your beautiful reviews. It makes me happy that I'm doing a good job for you guys!**

**I would also like to extend my thanks to EowynAhsokaLover, Half-Angel-Writer, and LadyLorairiesTheAssassin for favoriting/alerting my story. Thanks so much for wanting to continue to read this story.**

**So, this chapter starts one of the my favorite parts I've written so far, and I think you guys will absolutely LOVE the next chapter. Reviewers spur me on to publish, but I will be trying to update every other day or so depending on who reviews and what people tell me. Hopefully if I keep up my work ethic that I have now I will be able to make it to where I publish the Christmas chapters not too long after Christmas is over. It'll probably be after New Years', unfortunately. But anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Read on, my lovelies, read on!**

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><p><em>{Three weeks later, Music Room #3}<em>

"Please, Mari-chan?"  
>"No."<br>"Please~?"  
>"No."<br>"But, mother's made a great collection for both you and Haruhi, and—"  
>"I said no! I am not wearing a swimsuit!" I shout. It's after hours in the club room, and as I'm getting ready to pack up for the day. The club has decided that they are going to get away to a water park tomorrow, one that Kyoya's family built for the middle class, some tropical paradise for the commoners.<p>

Their words, not mine.

That's all fine and dandy, of course. I don't care. Except when they try to make me come along and put me in some sort of skimpy attire. I refuse to wear a swimsuit in front of a bunch of teenage guys, especially these bozos. If I go, it will be in shorts, a tank-top and flip flops. That's it.

"Why not? I think you'd look pretty sexy in a bikini." Kaoru says.  
>"No, a sexy one piece would really turn up the heat. And it has to be a darker color, like...navy, or dark green." Hikaru says. I wave them off.<br>"It's not happening. Get that little idea out of your heads. I am not wearing a swimsuit." I say.  
>"Someone's body conscious." I hear Hikaru say, and I glare at him.<br>"No, I am not. I just don't like swimsuits. Never have, never will." I say.  
>"Maybe she can't swim, Hikaru." I glare even more. I can swim just fine!<br>"I was on the swim team in elementary and middle school, and I was a lifeguard! I can swim just fine!" I protest.  
>"Then why not wear a swimsuit?"<br>"I don't like to, like I said!"  
>"Because you're body conscious. You don't want to show some skin, Mari-chan? I think you should. Kyoya-sempai would really appreciate it." Horrified, I gape in their general direction, then glare.<br>"How...how could you say something like that? That's so lewd and perverted!"  
>"Kyoya-sempai's a closet pervert, duh. It makes sense."<p>

Oh my God. I have to separate myself from these idiots. I can't stay here...I must run and hide. Who cares where, just somewhere.

"I'm leaving, and we're dropping the subject." I say, but then arms surround me and pull me into another room. Haruhi is there as well.  
>"Damn you! I said no! I meant it!" I shout and carry on, but it doesn't seem to work. They're seriously pissing me off. I don't have any desire to do as they want this time around.<br>"Don't worry, Mari-chan! We'll make sure you get something that will have men drooling and groveling at your feet!"

Like you guys don't do that already. I don't even have to speak and you're on your knees. And I don't even like the idea of groveling, anyway.

Idiots.

"I have no desire to give men a reason to over-salivate and stare at me. I don't think that would happen, anyway. Besides, haven't you been listening this entire time? I said no! I will not wear a swimsuit! You cannot make me!" I shout as they start messing around with swimsuits for Haruhi and I. It's clear that we're going to be ignored no matter how much we protest. That's okay, they can pick something for me, but that doesn't mean I will actually put it on.

And there's no way I'm going to allow them to forcefully put a swimsuit on me. It's not happening. I have never let a man see me undressed, and I don't plan on changing that any time soon.

"Mari-chan, put this one on! It's so cute!" I look at it and have to swallow the bile in my throat.  
>"Um...that's like, dental floss. Not happening." I say, and they pout. I glare at them, and they resign to the fact that I am not wearing stripper's swimwear. Save that for a model, not for someone as busty and disproportionate as me.<p>

I look to see Haruhi pushed into a dressing room with a bathing suit of her own. Then, Kaoru hands me another bikini that I can't quite discern while Hikaru hands me a one-piece that looks rather questionable. They push me into a dressing room, and I hang up the swimsuits and sit down on the bench. I cross my arms, and I wait.

And I wait.

And I wait.

And I continue to wait.

"Mari-chan! Are you done yet? Not getting shy on us, are you?"

I don't respond. They're going to learn, one way or another, that I am not going to bend to their every whim. They throw open the curtain, and I glare at them.

"...You haven't even changed, Mari-chan! Stop being so difficult!"  
>"Yeah, mother made these especially for you to try. You should at least be grateful after she went out of her way to make you a dress."<p>

Dammit. They got to me. They pulled out their punches.

Shit.

"...Fine. Get out and I'll change, then." I grumble, pulling the curtain back and stripping down. I avoid looking in the mirror as I put on the one piece. I then turn around and look, and shake my head.  
>"So not happening. It's not flattering in any way." I say, stripping it off almost instantly. I then turn to the bikini, put it on, and look.<br>"Well, this one's not too bad. It covers up a lot of my stomach...and the boy shorts is a plus. And I don't look like I'm going to fall out of the damn thing. Eh, why not." I say, pulling aside the curtain.  
>"So?" I ask, getting their attention. Haruhi's with them, but I don't mind that too much.<p>

She's a girl. She's okay.

However, the looks on Hikaru and Kaoru's faces make me feel self-conscious. Yeah, maybe they were spot on when I said I was body conscious. But it's not like I'm going to tell them that. They would tease me to no end, if that was the case.

"I...I'll go take it off then." I say softly, wrapping my arms around myself to at least partially cover myself. I always knew if I quit swimming I would never have a swimmer's body again. But I didn't think it would be that bad.  
>"Mari-chan! You look great! We were just..."<br>"Speechless! You really do look that amazing!" I blush, arms crossed in front of me at my waist. Again, I'm being doted upon. As much as I would like to accept, it's just so hard for me to do it. After all, I'm used to getting things for other people. I don't like to get things for myself...seeing someone else's smile means a whole lot more to me than making myself smile.

How could I get out of this? There's no way I can, if I look at it. Manipulation won't work on these two, since they can reciprocate it almost twice as bad as I can. Going along with it might not be so bad...except that I'd be wearing the damn thing in front of the others. I don't want to show that much skin in front of any of them.

I suppose I can wear it underneath some other clothes. Yeah, that's what I'll do. No harm in that.

"...Thanks." I manage to say, and then I have arms around me suggestively. I blush even more. These twins will be the death of me, either from too much pressure in my head or too much embarrassment.  
>"Oh, Mari-chan...you always blind me with lust when I look at you...how is it that you always manage to do that? As dangerous as it is to make Kyoya-sempai jealous, I don't think I will be able to help myself." Kaoru says, and Hikaru smirks at me evilly. That smirk on his face isn't a good sign. He slides a finger under my chin as Kaoru breathes on my neck.<p>

This is definitely way too close for my taste. If I could find words and the will to move, I would have done it. Someone save me! Haruhi, make them stop! Please!

"As much as I hate to separate the three of you from your fun, it's time to close up. Hikaru, Kaoru, if the two of you would allow Maria to get dressed, I'm sure she would like to get home." My face is so red, and it doesn't help that Kyoya's staring at me. This position is just way too compromising for words.

Damn you, Haruhi, why do you not help me? Why do you stand there and just let this happen to me?

"We'll pick you up on Sunday, Mari-chan! No problem at all, so be ready early!" I face-palm. So I've agreed not only to the swimsuit, but to the trip as well. Against my own will.

Yeah, okay, figure that one out.

I dress and wrap up the swimsuit, putting it in my bag. I make my way out of the club room and back home without anymore incidents, which I'm glad for.

I sit down to relax, and I hear my phone go off. I'd know that ringtone anywhere, so I answer it without even looking at it.

"_Hello, mama." _I say. I hear her laugh over the phone.  
>"<em>It sounds like you've gotten an accent, Maria. Been there a bit long?" <em>I laugh in return as we continue to speak in English, since my mother's ability to learn another language is...well, lacking.

"No mama, not at all. Tell me, did Tori make it home alright? I know I haven't called to check in or emailed you back...I've been really busy."  
>"She made it home fine. I didn't think you'd actually fly her out to Japan. I was worried for a while there, since we couldn't find her. I called Eliza's house, though, and when she told me that her family had taken Tori to the airport, I knew what was going on. It was good for her, though I didn't like making excuses for her at school." I laugh a little.<p>

"Yeah, sorry about that. She practically begged me. Called me from a pay phone crying, upset. The works. So I felt the need to help her get away."  
>"I heard you helped her with her application to Ouran. Are you sure that's alright?"<br>"Yes, mama, it's fine. There's almost nothing left to do, and whatever is left I will take care of personally. Don't worry about it."  
>"The idea of two of my children being so far away from home so early on...it makes me hesitant. Are you eating alright? Sleeping okay?" I roll my eyes.<br>"Yes, mama, I'm doing fine. Don't worry, I've got great people to help me out if I ever get into any trouble, which I don't foresee happening anytime soon."  
>"Well, that's good, I'm glad. I was calling to tell you that your paintings are on their way and should be there within a couple of weeks, give or take. I just put everything into a shipping crate for them to take by plane. I gave you some other things I thought you'd want. You'll see when you get them."<br>"Oh, thanks! I'm glad you told me. I'll know to expect them, then."  
>"Alright, well, it's rather late here. As much as I'd like to continue talking, I need some sleep. It's midnight here, and they have school in the morning."<br>"Oh, right. You guys are a day behind, haha. That sucks. I guess I'll let you go so you can sleep."  
>"Alright, take care of yourself and don't get into any trouble. I love you."<br>"I love you too, mama. You take care of yourself too." And then I hear a click. I smile.

I love my mama.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, my lovelies, and there you have it! Chapter 16!<strong>

**Like I said, if you like this story as much as I do, then you will absolutely LOVE the next chapter. It's hysterical and by far one of my favorite things so far. I hope I get to show it to you guys before I have to take my trip to Zion National Park and be without you guys until after Christmas...**

**Sad, but I'll be updating regularly afterwards. I don't go back to college till the 17th of January so I'm writing the entire time!**

**Much love and make sure to continue to let me know that I'm doing a good job...and also in case I mess up, hehe...**

**Love you all!**

**~B-chan**


	17. A Not So Nice Day at the Water Park

**Hey guys! I know I just updated yesterday but when I woke up today I found three wonderful reviews in my email. So here's the next update! **

**I would love to thank my new reviewer, Miss Anonymous 'Random Person XD'. She's so sweet, I can just tell. Also, much thanks and love to AhhMyLife and EowynAhsokaLover for your beautiful reviews. They make me so happy!**

**So here's the promised chapter that's so freakin' funny. I love this chapter so much. Just a fair warning, the reason this story is rated M is ahead. Maria's mouth gets very, very dirty. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Mari-chan! Are you ready yet?" I hear the twins shouting in my living room. I've managed to get dressed, but I have to assemble things in my art bag. Since I doubt I'm going to be swimming, I'm bringing along my art supplies instead. It gives me something to do, and it's new scenery. Kyoya said something about it being 'tropical', so I figured I'd get some exotic painting done if it's as good as he said it was.<br>"Yes, one moment..." I walk out of my room and make my way to the living room. We leave, and pretty soon we're at said water park. The thing is gigantic—I didn't expect anything less—but the twins are pouting at me when we get inside. I notice the other hosts sitting around or playing in the water, though Haruhi is talking to Kyoya over by one of the many swimming pools.

"Mari-chan, you covered up your swimsuit!" I stare down at my shorts and tank top, then shrug.  
>"I didn't plan on swimming. No sense walking around half-naked for no reason." I say, much to their obvious disappointment. I start to look around the area for a good place to paint. I must have been walking for a great deal of time, but I ended up in the same place I started. Scenic? I don't know about that. Where's the good stuff to draw? Tropical plants and birds?<br>"If you're looking for a good spot to paint, I suggest over there by the tide pool. There's a good spot with exotic plants that my family put in, as well as some animals and assorted tiki masks." I smile as I notice what he's talking about. Sounds like a good idea to me.  
>"Thanks." I say to him, walking over and starting to assemble my portable easel. As soon as I've got the place set up I manage to pull out my special palette of green paints, which is covered in all sorts of hues of green perfect for painting this tropical paradise. I'm excited to use so much green, because it's one of my favorite colors, but in Vegas there isn't much green. Just a lot of brown and dull colors, which is no fun. I haven't been able to use greens since the summer before I moved to Vegas.<p>

It's been a while, and even though I'd rather be at home today, I don't mind being here as long as I'm left alone for most of the day.

I don't know how long I paint, but I know it's been a while, because I'm stiff when Honey-sempai comes over to see me.

"Mari-chan, Mari-chan! Come swim with me in the tide pool!" I shake my head.  
>"Thanks for the offer, Honey-sempai, but I'm a little busy." I say, though I think he noticed how stiff and uncomfortable I am.<br>"Just take a break then, Mari-chan! Come swim with me!" I laugh as he runs off into the tide pool.  
>"You know, this place was built with the idea of relaxation and therapy in mind. I can't imagine why you would want to work on a day like this." I hear Kyoya say behind me as I stretch.<br>"Ah, well, I've always been known as a workaholic. I feel much happier and more comfortable doing something rather than sitting around all day. If I hadn't come here I would have been painting something at home anyway. Might as well get out of the house and do something different, if that's the case." He smirks.  
>"Why doesn't that surprise me?" I shrug.<br>"I'm not the type to sit around and be idle, that's why." I say. I see Honey-sempai waving at me.  
>"You should join him. He obviously wants you to." I shrug, then wave back<br>"Alright, I'll go stick my feet in for a bit. There's no harm in that, is there?" I say, setting down my art supplies and making my way to the tide pool. I see Mori-sempai swimming against the current effortlessly. Honey-sempai sees me and makes his way over to me. When Mori-sempai sees this, he stops and makes his way to the side of the pool.

Oh my God, call me sinful, but he's got one of the best bodies on a man I've ever seen. I have to avert my gaze for fear of over-salivation. Don't want to look like some sicko while staring at the tall, stoic, quiet hottie.

"Mari-chan! Come swim with me!" I see Honey-sempai swimming easily by himself, though the current looks pretty strong. What is wrong with this kid? How can he swim against it so easily?

And what's with the cutesy inner tube? He's the same age as me, right?

Whatever, I won't even bother asking him out loud. No point in it when it's just so strange anyway.

"It's so nice, Mari-chan! You should swim with me!" He says again as I sit down and stick my bare feet in, my flip flops at my side. I'm wary because he's all by himself, but I was a lifeguard in middle school at a water park for little kids, so I'm confident that I could save him if something happened to him. Still, I would prefer not to, so I keep a close eye on him.  
>"That's alright, Honey-sempai, I'm comfortable right here." I say, swishing my feet back and forth against the current. Mori-sempai is standing over near Haruhi in the shade while Hikaru and Kaoru run around with Tamaki in a water gun fight.<p>

Typical of those three. So very typical. They're always fighting and making fuss over everything that happens with Haruhi. It'll be nice when they realize why they act that way and how annoying it is to the rest of us.

But I don't see Kyoya anywhere. Where could he have wandered off to?

I see Tamaki go flying, land on a banana peel, and slide all the way into a tall tiki pole. That's so...I don't know, something that would happen in an anime. But the tiki pole lights up, and for a moment everything's quiet.

Then, I notice Mori-sempai drops the cup Haruhi had handed him, and Kyoya's suddenly standing near Haruhi. Mori-sempai looks in our direction, and I can't help but feel like something's wrong. What is this weird feeling in my gut that tells me there is doom on it's way?

I see the water start to gather, and immediately see that Honey-sempai is about to be washed away. I do the only thing I can do, the only thing I know what to do when things like this happen. It's like an instinct to me.

"Honey-sempai!" I hear Haruhi shout.  
>"Mitsukuni!" I hear from Mori-sempai. Their voices is what really kicks my butt into gear.<p>

I strip down to my swimsuit, shake out my hair and dive into the water after him, swimming with the current to grab onto Honey-sempai and hold onto him as the current takes us downstream. Where we're going to land, who knows, but we'll figure that out when we get there. Right now all I'm concerned with is not getting either of us hurt or lost too bad before the others can get to us.

I'm starting to think this wasn't such a good idea. But I guess it's too late now.

* * *

><p>"Mari-chan, wait!" Tamaki and the twins scream.<br>"Maria, stop!" Haruhi yells. But the teen doesn't hear them as her clothes are left and she dives into the water. Her form is perfect, but right now none of that matters to the host club. They just know that they lost two of their members down that current and they need to chase after them or find them at the end.  
>"Gentlemen, we're going after Mari-chan and Honey-sempai! That pool looks like the quickest way. Charge!" The all start toward the current pool, farther downstream.<br>"Wait, I wouldn't go—" Kyoya starts to say, but it's just too late. The group is assaulted by the alligators in the pool, and so they retreat.  
>"Okay, so we can't use that pool. Let's try this way then!" Tamaki announces, and they make their way in the general direction he is pointing.<p>

That, too, ends up causing them a lot of trouble, as there are alligators in that direction as well. The group tries to find some way to go, but there are alligators everywhere they turn.

"What's with all the alligators?" Haruhi asks, exhausted.  
>"Those alligators are part of the tropical animals exhibit. I guess it is kind of dangerous to let them run wild. Though, the cause of our present situation seems to be the location for the switch mechanism for the current pool. I'll have to have a little chat with our designers." Kyoya snaps his little book closed and gives them a host smile.<p>

"Thanks a lot, you guys. I got some great data today!" He seems unfazed by the fact that both Honey and Maria have been washed downstream by the current pool, which comes as a surprise to the host members. Isn't he the one who's always the most concerned about Maria? Or is he really just gathering data?

"This is a map of the Tropical Aqua Gardens. This is our current location. We need to get here. I have a feeling that's where Honey-sempai and Maria ended up. It might be tough because to get there we'll have to make it through this jungle area here in the southern block. Distance wise we're talking about 800 meters." Kyoya explains as the remaining members of the club stand in front of a map of the park. He points out each individual area as he speaks.

"It seems there are a lot of undeveloped areas. Any idea what might be lurking in those parts of the jungle?" Haruhi asks him when he's done explaining.  
>"Since they're still being developed, I'm afraid I don't know."<br>"Whatever's out there could be more dangerous...  
>"...than alligators." Hikaru then Kaoru say. Tamaki stands up in front of them all, acting the part of the leader of this small group of men...er...men and woman, I mean.<br>"All right, now this is a mission of survival. I know we can make it through the treacherous jungle in one piece. It is our sworn duty to save Honey-sempai and rescue our dear princess Mari-chan!" And with that, the group start to make their way through the jungle.

* * *

><p>I cough as I come up in a small area where the tide pool ended. I stand and look around for Honey-sempai, who's standing on the bank of the river. His cute bunny inner tube has been lost, but that's alright. He doesn't need it to be adorable.<p>

My only question is...why the fuck are we in the middle of some God-damned forest? Oh, when I get my hands on that Otori kid I am going to strangle him within an inch of his life. What kind of crazy idea was it to put an activation switch for the tide pool in a tiki pole that's in close proximity to the public? Anyone could hit it and send those in the pool careening into the middle of the jungle, which is where we happen to be now. Where we are exactly, who can say, but as I plot ways to massacre Kyoya I make my way to Honey-sempai.

"Are you alright, Honey-sempai? You weren't hurt, were you?" He smiles up at me.  
>"Nuh-uh. Are you okay, Mari-chan?" I nod, though I've actually managed to skin my knee, elbows and both palms of my hands on the trip down here. But I'll be fine, it's not like I haven't been scratched before.<br>"Well, what should we do, Honey-sempai? I have no idea where we are...we could either wait here or start in some direction and hope we come out of this jungle." He smiles, taking my hand.  
>"As long as we're together, Mari-chan, everything will be okay! Don't get lost, alright? Let's go!" He says, starting to lead me in some direction in the forest. Where we're going, I don't know, but the only thing I know for sure is that Kyoya is a dead man when I see him. Dead as a doornail.<p>

Deader than death itself. You are going to die a very slow, painful death Kyoya Otori. Slow, painful, and bloody. You will pay for aggravating me, putting Honey-sempai in danger, and pissing me the fuck off for getting us lost in a huge fucking jungle.

* * *

><p>The group of men and...er...Haruhi continue walking through the jungle. The sounds of tropical birds and the heat of a tropical sun beat down on them as they crawl through the underbrush of the jungle.<p>

"Wow, this place is just like a real jungle, huh?" Tamaki comments.  
>"Yeah, and I keep hearing all of these really strange animal calls." Haruhi adds.<br>"You don't think that all those animal sounds..." Hikaru starts.  
>"...could belong to the real thing, do you?" Kaoru finishes. A loud bird calls off in the distance.<br>"To be honest, I'm not sure, but I do know that my family always strives for authenticity, whatever the cost." Kyoya comments, satisfying the murmuring hosts around him.

Haruhi takes notice of how poker-faced Mori-sempai is, but she knows that he must be worried. And as if on cue, he slips on a banana peel that lands on his face as he lands on his back.

"Mori-sempai is..."  
>"...acting as clumsy as you do, boss." Hikaru and Kaoru say. Tamaki takes offense at this observation.<br>"Tch, shut up!" He says. Mori-sempai manages to sit up, all of the hosts looking at him. Haruhi's suspicions are confirmed now that she's witnessed Mori-sempai's falling, taking it as a sign.

And then, the sky overhead dims over the hosts. They all look to the sky as a soft rumble starts off in the distance.

"Uh oh, it's about time for the squall." Kyoya says, looking at his digital watch. Rain starts to fall, and the host club takes shelter in a small timber gazebo in the middle of the jungle.

They stand there awhile, and as Haruhi speaks with Mori-sempai, she notices Kyoya gazing off in the distance. His face looks a little...worried. Could it be he's worried about Maria? Or is it just her imagination?

"Kyoya-sempai...why aren't you worried about any of this? I mean, it seems like you and Maria are close. I just thought you'd be a little worried about her." Haruhi says. The host pushes up his glasses and looks at her.  
>"Believe me, Haruhi, I'm not worried about Maria in the least. She can handle herself, and she's with Honey-sempai. Out of all of us, he's about the best one she could end up lost with."<br>"Why is that?" He shakes his head, not willing to answer it. Haruhi figures she'll get an answer some time or another.

* * *

><p>"Mari-chan, come on! I just know we're getting closer!" I sigh, breathing heavily.<br>"Honey-sempai, slow down! I...I can't keep up!"

Dammit, I should have been exercising. I am so not in shape for this type of thing. Trekking through the forest is not my idea of fun, and when you haven't exercised in forever, it is just plum ridiculous and hard to do. I can't breathe, I'm sweating, I'm in pain on my knees and palms, and I am about ready to scream at the top of my lungs in anger.

Damn you, Otori, damn you. I will murder you. I will slash your throat, dismember you and feed you to these damned alligators. I swear I will.

"Aah! Stop, get away from me!" I scream, kicking an alligator in the process. It just gets angry at me, and I shout.  
>"Honey-sempai, run!" But instead, he whirls around and roundhouse kicks the alligator. It goes flying off into the distance, and he puts the many others around us in their places.<p>

What kind of drugs is this kid on? Why is it that he's able to do this and be about half my size? What did his parents feed him growing up? Did they spike his Cheerios? Maybe his Wheaties?

"Don't worry, Mari-chan, I'll protect you! Let's go!"

And again, we're running through the forest. I manage to catch up to him, but only because he's suddenly stopped. I hear a bit of a commotion in the distance. Could it be the twins?

"...Honey-sempai?" I ask him, but he takes off at breakneck speed in the direction of the commotion. Where did he get that kind of speed? Was he really holding back this entire time because I'm a slowpoke?

Nevertheless, I follow him as best as I can. I come to the edge of a clearing where I see Haruhi, held by Mori-sempai, standing in the middle of the clearing with a bunch of fully armed men standing around them.

What the hell is going on here? I don't remember SWAT being a part of Japanese culture. That's an American thing, right? And why would they have guns pointed at Mori-sempai? He's as sweet and gentle as could be! There's no way he needs to have a gun pointed at him!

"You! Put the boy down! If you don't, we'll be forced to remove him forcefully!" One of the armed men shouts at Mori-sempai.  
>"Wait, hold on!" Haruhi says as she's grabbed by one of the men. Mori-sempai's reaction is immediate, and next thing I know the man is sent flying in my general direction. I dive out of the way behind a tree so I'm not noticed. The last thing I want is be targeted by these armed creeps.<p>

"The suspect is resisting! Prepare to fire warning shots!" One of the men shouts as all of the men ready their guns.  
>"Takashi, Haru-chan, out of the way!" I hear Honey-sempai, and he makes a sweeping grand entrance hanging from a vine. The effect his presence has is immediate, and within moments he takes down all of the guys that had attacked Mori-sempai and Haruhi. Said two people are standing off to the side now, and I'm still worshiping this tree that I'm behind. It's a good hiding spot.<p>

"You guys should be careful who you mess with. Picking on my friends is bad, got it?" Honey-sempai says, which is just so darn cute that any mean quality he'd had to his tone is immediately killed by his overall cuteness. As freaked out and surprised as I am by what I've just seen Honey-sempai do, I'm more concerned with getting out of this God-forsaken place.

I've never been outdoorsy, so this makes it even worse for me. That Otori is dead meat when I get my hands on him. Perfect hair and complexion don't mean anything when you've been beaten to a pulp. And that's just what I plan to do when we get the fuck out of this place.

"Haruhi!" I hear Tamaki's voice, and see all four of the remaining hosts run into the clearing. I still have yet to come out from behind my tree.  
>"Haruhi, are you alright?" Tamaki asks.<br>"Hey, it's Tama-chan!" Honey-sempai says, attracting attention to himself.  
>"Oh, wow." Says Hikaru.<br>"Are you okay, sempai?" Asks Kaoru.  
>"Haruhi!" Tamaki shouts, pulling Haruhi into an embrace.<br>"I was so worried about you." There are lovey pink hearts floating everywhere. How is it he can do that?  
>"Now that we have Honey-sempai...Honey-sempai, where's Maria?" I hear that voice. The voice of the one I want to kill.<br>"Oh, she's just over there. Come on out, Mari-chan! It's safe now!" I step out from behind my tree and immediately am bombarded by the twins.  
>"Oh, dear Mari-chan, we were so worried about you! That was so brave and noble of you to dive off into the pool after Honey-sempai!" The twins say to me in unison.<br>"Ow, ow, ow! Don't touch me, that hurts!" They back off immediately as I grip my elbows. They hurt so bad, along with my knees and palms.  
>"What's the matter, Mari-chan? Are you hurt?" I clench my fists.<p>

"No, I just go washed down a large tide pool, thrown up on the shores of the pool, and forced to trek through a God-forsaken fucking jungle chasing after Honey-sempai so that he didn't get hurt, only to find out he's some kind of fighting God and can beat up people like nobody's business. Why, I don't care. But you!" I scream, pointing my fingers at that spectacled host. He gives me a look. Good, he's expecting this. It'll make beating the shit out of him so worthwhile. The anticipation of the beating is worse than the actual beating after all.  
>"You are so dead, Otori! To think that you would be stupid enough to install the switch of the tide pool in a place out in the open where any damned bozo could walk up to it and press the button, sending anyone in the pool out into this God-forsaken jungle to fend for themselves against alligators and God knows what else. Because of your lapse of judgment and idiocy I'm angry, hurt, tired and just plain pissed off! Come here so I can beat the shit out of you!" I scream, charging forward only to be thrown over Mori-sempai's shoulder. But not before I see the smallest look of terror on Kyoya's face.<p>

He believes me. Good, because I'm dead fucking serious.

"When I get my hands on you, Kyoya, you are so dead! You hear me? Dead! I will kill you and dismember you and feed your body parts and bowels to these damned alligators! I will do it and no one will stop me! I don't care what I have to do to get it done! You are dead! I hate you!"

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><p>Maria continues to scream curse words, insults and all sorts of vulgarities at Kyoya, who was genuinely terrified for a moment. He decides that letting her calm down far away from him is the best thing he can do right now. Otherwise, he's certain she will follow through on the murder, disembowelment and dismemberment threat.<p>

It's sunset by the time the Host Club manages to make their way back to where they'd started, next to the tide pool. Mori let's down Maria from his shoulder on the condition that she will not go charging after Kyoya. By now her immediate anger has subsided, and now she's only in pain.

"Ow...jeez, that hurts..." She says, sitting down on a chair and trying to nurse her painful wounds for the first time since she got them.

"I thought you said you were okay, Mari-chan! If I had known you were hurt, I wouldn't have run so fast!" Honey-sempai says, teary-eyed. This gets to Maria, and she shakes her head.  
>"No, I really was fine Honey-sempai. Don't worry, I just need to clean these up and I'll be just fine. It just hurts from the air, that's all." She says, glaring at the spectacled host, who merely pushes up his glasses in return. She then looks away from him.<br>"We'll patch you up, Mari-chan. Don't worry...we're very good at playing doctor." The twins say to her, which normally would have made her blush. But it was clear her mood had deflated and she was not a chipper person right now.

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><p>"It's fine, guys...I just need to get home. I can do just fine at home." I say, standing and making my way to the edge of the pool. I gather my clothes, then make my way back to where my easel had been set up. Surprisingly, the nearly finished painting hasn't been touched.<br>"Might as well finish it...it won't hurt too bad since it's almost done." I do a few touch ups, but I'm a little slower than normal due to my hands hurting so much. I have to be in order not to mess this painting up.  
>"If you're in pain, you can always come back later and finish it. There's no sense in standing here and inflicting more pain upon yourself." I glare at the painting as I hear his voice, and I wish he would just leave me be. I'm not very happy with him right now, even if the anger is ebbing away.<br>"The only reason I'm in pain is because of you." I bite back with a little more venom than necessary. I finish the touch ups and slowly pack away the materials. When everything's packed up, I sit on the ground to relax a little. I'm exhausted from today. I look up and notice the first aid in Kyoya's hand, and I glare at him.  
>"I don't need you to dote on me, jerk. You caused me this pain, I'd rather you stayed away from me." He puts a hand out to me, and even though I want to be angry at him, for some reason I can't be. I sigh, letting go of my pride and taking his hand. He pulls me up, sits me in a chair, and starts to treat the scrapes on my knees that are killing me right now.<br>"These cuts are pretty bad." I roll my eyes.  
>"Thanks, Captain Obvious, for pointing that out for me." I say as he cleans my knee. I have bite my lip to keep from swearing like a sailor. I take a sharp breath and tense up instead.<br>"This is going to hurt."

Thanks for telling me ahead of time, jackass.

I sit there as he bandages me up, and my hands end up wrapped to the knuckles. My knees have gauze on them and there's a sufficient amount of ointment on them. My elbows are covered in the same way. They're all a dull ache now, which is relief in comparison to earlier. I manage to sigh, realizing that I'd been holding a breath, though I don't manage to open my eyes.

"I'm done now, Maria. You don't have to keep your eyes closed anymore." I open my eyes and blush a little. I could have figured that out on my own.

So why am I embarrassed by this? It's not like he insulted me or anything.

"...Thanks. You didn't have to do that." He shakes his head.  
>"Not at all. It's the least I could, considering I am the one at fault for your injuries." I shrug.<br>"It's fine...it's not your fault directly. The park designer's fault, yes, but not yours. I just...when I get angry I have to have someone to direct it towards. You're just an easy target, unfortunately. Sorry about all of the shouting..." I say, fiddling with my hands. He chuckles a little.  
>"That quite alright. Those were some interesting things you were coming up with. As much as you were trying to intimidate me, I actually found your threats quite humorous." I roll my eyes.<br>"Yeah, well, I was pissed off and angry. Sue me." I say, crossing my arms. He chuckles again.  
>"That's not my intention, I assure you." I roll my eyes again at the sarcasm.<p>

Damn sarcastic bastard.

"Come, the others are waiting. We need to get you home." I nod, looking up at him. For a moment, I'm frozen as I look at his eyes. Why didn't I notice all of the hues before? So many dark colors...black, hues of purple, hues of gray...they're so deep. And they've got me caught.

Wait, what's going on right now? My heart's beating way too fast...my face feels like it's on fire, and I can't turn away from him. What the hell is happening to me right now?

I feel his breath on my face, which is a bit of a startling thing to me. I blink a little, but he pushes himself up and walks away. I pick up my things, dressing in my clothes and shoes, and walk in the general direction he'd walked. I hear the others talking, though I'm still trying to slow my beating heart.

"On our next vacation, we should go to the beach." Kaoru says.  
>"Nonsense. Haruhi doesn't want to do something like that." Tamaki says.<br>"Actually, sempai, I wouldn't mind going to the beach. I've actually never been."  
>"It's okay, Haruhi, neither have I." I say to her.<br>"Then it's final! Our next trip will be to the beach!" Tamaki's ultimatum rings loud and clear in our ears.

Despite the anger I felt today, and how much of a pain in my ass the day truly was, I did accomplish getting a painting done and a few moments of relaxation under my belt. The beach...that would be the perfect opportunity for many beach scene paintings. I would love to go to the beach.

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><p><strong>Yay! Whew, that was a long one. But I got it out to you guys before I leave for my trip tomorrow. I will be without my computer the entire time, so I won't be able to get back to you guys until Friday. 'Tis a sad thing, but I can assure you I will update if I get enough reviews when I get back. If I get enough before I leave tomorrow...I may even be nice and give you another chapter. <strong>

**Much love and I look forward to your comments and wonderful thoughts!**

**~B-chan**


	18. Calm Before the Storm

**Hello my lovelies! It's so good to be back from that trip. I came home and checked my email and found so many amazing things in it. So, here goes.**

**Thanks sooooo much to Random Person XD, DarkDutchess, and AhhMyLife for leaving me reviews. I love them so much and I love the things you guys say. It warmed my chilly and angry heart after these past two days of agonizing trips. I love you guys!**

**Also many thanks to Isshi Urahara, Captive Butterfly, CreativeChica39, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, Watch Happiness Burn, Ebony Princess22, and 22moonguardian22 for alerting/favoriting my story. Oh my lord that is a lot of people! And I absolutely love it. Thanks so much you guys!**

**So, this chapter is the calm before the storm. I say that because the next two chapters are going to make you go 'WTF?' because of what Maria does. I am going to warn you that things may change, and you may not like it. But I want you to be prepared because I worked EXTREMELY hard on this next part so it could be as perfect as possible. I still have some proofreading to do, and since this chapter is so short I have to do it soon. But the next parts are probably going to make absolutely NO sense until I come out with a couple more chapters. And things do move very fast, then slow down.**

**Whew, with that out of the way, here is the next (rather short) chapter! I hope you lovelies enjoy it!**

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><p><em>{Maria's Apartment...9:30 AM}<em>

"Mari-chan, get up! Get up, c'mon! We're going to the beach today!" I groan as I pull the covers over my head. Who let these damn twins into my apartment this early in the morning? I'm tired and don't want to be bothered. It's Saturday! I want to sleep in.  
>"C'mon, Mari-chan! It'll be fun, promise! We even brought you another really cute swimsuit that mother designed just for you!" I grumble and sit up. It's become clear to me that I am not getting any more sleep today, and I'm going to end up going to a beach. Where this beach is, I don't know. But now I'm up, agitated, tired, aggravated, and eager to please just so I can get some peace and quiet.<p>

"Alright, alright...just let me get dressed..."  
>"Mari-chan, we're staying overnight, so make sure you pack!"<br>"And don't forget this swimsuit from our mom! She'll be so unhappy if you don't wear it!" I groan, noticing the swimsuits a little skimpier than the last one. That's fine, whatever gets them out of my hair. I'll do whatever it takes to get some peace of mind.

In a matter of ten minutes, I've put up my hair, dressed in my casual sleep pants and a t-shirt, and have slipped on my flip flops.

"Um...Mari-chan...because you took so long to wake up, we're going to straight to the beach. So you need to change into your swimsuit." I groan, make it back into my room, and start to change. I'm glad they gave me a tying waist wrap to put around my waist so I'm not walking around half-naked. But the top leaves a little to be desired, since the amount of cleavage is sinful. I pull a cute tank top of a matching color over the top and step out in that instead.  
>"Better?" I ask, and they beam.<br>"Much. Now let's go! Okinawa, here we come!" I cock an eyebrow at this but go unanswered as I'm whisked out of my apartment, still attempting to figure out how these two bozos got in without a key.

"Why Okinawa?"  
>"Well, because Kyoya's family owns a private beach there."<br>"What? Are you kidding me?"

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><p>I look around this beach when we get there, and it's literally empty of people.<p>

But then I see some Host Club guests, and immediately I cringe. Jeez, they had to bring the squealing posse along as well? That means I'll be painting...which I planned on doing anyway. But then I have to do it with an audience. Seeing as Tamaki has a line of girls waiting to sit with him out on a nice rock in the ocean and Kyoya is directing this line, being near them is out. Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai are stretching with a group of their guests, while Hikaru and Kaoru are chasing each other down to please their group of girls. Haruhi's just talking and entertaining, which is usual. She doesn't typically have to work at being a host.

So I start to look for a place to set up my things away from that commotion. This beach really is pretty, and I find myself just gazing at it for a really long time.

"Um...Mari-chan...?" I look behind me and see some girls standing there. I smile at them as best as I can. They're regulars of mine, so it's not so hard to be nice to them.  
>"Yes?" I ask, approaching them and standing with them, one hand on my hip, the other on my art case as my feet sink slowly into the white sand of the beach.<br>"We were wondering if you'd like to come swim with us? Take a break from the painting and relax? You just seem to always be busy painting...you should have fun here at the beach with us!" I smile. That actually sounds like a really good idea. I didn't think they thought about it so much. That's really nice of them to do that. I nod to them and smile, guiding them off of the beach so I can go put my stuff down.  
>"Sure thing. Where do you guys want to go swimming at?" And sure enough, I end up leaving my things in the huge estate we're staying in and wandering off down the beach with these girls.<p>

* * *

><p>"Mari-chan! This way!" I laugh as we get to a more secluded part of the beach. They start messing around in the water, and I'm glad I wore my contacts today. Glasses are definitely not swim friendly.<br>"Come on, let's go this way! Hikaru and Kaoru are with the others over there!" I walk with the girls along the beach until one of them approaches me.  
>"C'mon, Mari-chan! Come play in the water with us!" I shake my head.<br>"That's alright, I'm fine right here." A couple more girls come up and start begging me to do the same thing. I sigh...I'm never usually one to give in to peer pressure, but if I don't do it, I'm going to have the Shadow King breathing down my neck. Plus, if you think about it...they want me to come have fun with them. That means they're accepting me for who I am. That sounds really nice, and has a nice ring to it. It's one of the first times ever in my life that I've been begged to do something so...outgoing and fun. I'm usually the last person anyone asks.

"Alright, give me a second." I say, pulling off my tank top and letting down my hair. I toss both things aside on the blanket next to Haruhi.  
>"Maria? Is that you?" I cock an eyebrow at her question.<br>"Haruhi, it's kind of hard to miss me. I'm the only American around here." I say. She laughs.  
>"Yeah, I know, it's just...you look so different without your glasses. And you're wearing a really cute swimsuit...you look really girly right now. It's not something I expected from you." I laugh.<br>"Thanks, Haruhi. I guess I'll take that as a compliment." I say as I'm pulled away by these girls. The first thing that happens is that I'm tackled into the ocean by them, surfacing soaking wet. Here on the beach we really are just a bunch of peppy teenage girls. The fact that I'm a 'commoner' and not a blue blood means nothing out here.

It really, really pleases me. Makes me happy, even. I'm glad that I decided to come today, though it still remains a mystery to me how the twins got into my house.

We play some water tag, then prank Tamaki because of his long line of guests. I laugh at this and we end up walking away up onto the beach. I pull the hair out of my face as we walk along the beach. I end up getting involved in a game of beach volleyball with Hikaru and Kaoru.

"Mari-chan, over here!"  
>"I got it, I got it!" I say, spiking the ball over the net. I high-five Kaoru, since he's on my side right now. Hikaru serves us the ball, and we begin another round. Hikaru hits it a little high, so I back up a little farther. I trip over Kaoru's foot, falling to the sand. I groan as he falls on top of me.<br>"Ouch, Kaoru...that hurts..." I say as I look up. He's looking down at me with a blush on his face. What's with that all of a sudden? I'm unaffected by our close proximity, but...I guess this is a bit awkward. I think the blush on his face is cute, nevertheless. It's a really honest reaction, and quite hilarious at the same time. Still, we don't want to get the twins' guests upset.  
>"Um, Kaoru...can you get off of me?" I ask him, and he scrambles to his feet. He pulls me up with him.<br>"Sorry about that, Mari-chan...I didn't mean to trip you!" He apologizes quickly, and I shake my head.  
>"It's fine, don't worry about it." I say. With that, they start up another round that I choose not to be involved in. I go and sit in the shade, laying down on my back underneath the umbrella.<br>"My, my, Mari-chan! You look so beautiful, my dear princess. I hardly recognized you!" I open one eye and look at the owner of the voice.

"Tamaki, I'm the only American out here. It's kind of hard to miss me. You people...getting worked up because I'm not working." I say. Tamaki flushes a little as he stares at me, and I roll my eyes.  
>"He is right. You do look rather different." I look up to my left.<br>"Oh, hi Kyoya. I didn't notice you sitting there." I say to him as I lay back and close my eyes once more.  
>"You're doing us well today, Maria. You've earned quite a bit of profit already today, and you haven't once lifted your paintbrush." I shrug. I don't see it as beneficial, just fun.<br>"Yeah, it's whatev. Feels good to relax a little bit." I mumble, relaxing on this really, really soft towel.  
>"I thought you were the workaholic." He teases, no doubt a smirk on that smug face.<br>"Yes, well, I've never been to the beach before. I'd kind of like to enjoy it." I say.  
>"Fair enough." He says, and then it's silent.<p>

Somehow, every time I'm around him, I still think about the water park. I think about...how he patched me up...how we stared at each other. How it got my heart racing. I still can't figure out why, though. I just sit here and contemplate and get fed up and agitated because I don't know what caused it or why it happened. There's no way I like him in any way other than a friend...so that's out. So what could it be?

Ah, who cares. I'm on vacation. I won't think about it right now. I'll sit back and enjoy the sun instead.

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><p><strong>And that's the end of this one. I'll try my best to get the next part out, but it makes me really nervous. Hopefully it goes over well. It's rather dramatic and takes Maria very much out of character. Everything you thought about her will change for these few instances due to an event that happens next chapter. I can't wait to hear more from you guys, and I really look forward to what you guys have to say later on. I hope things go well. Later days and Merry ChristmasHappy Hanukkah/Happy Kwanzaa/Happy Holidays darlings!**

**Much love and festivity!**

**~B-chan**


	19. The Worst of the Storm is Not Over

**Alright, my lovelies, I'm so happy to be here! I love writing so much, and I love writing for you guys. You always say wonderful things and I'm so glad that you do.**

**So, my thanks to THEeditor-writer, Miss Random Person XD, and AhhMyLife for your reviews. You guys are amazing and I love it when I get new people reviewing as well as those who continue to support and love me. I love you all so much, and thank you.**

**My thanks also to you, THEeditor-writer, for alerting my story. I'm glad you've decided to continue to read this story. It means so much to me that you think so highly of it to put it on your alert list. Thank you, thank you, thank you, my lovely! :)**

**So, here is the first of two chapters where we witness the mental instability of Maria. I'm going to warn you that this chapter will make you feel sorry for Maria, and hopefully when the next chapter comes you'll keep in mind that she's unstable and does and says and thinks really stupid things when she's emotionally and psychologically unstable. Much like me, in all honesty. This was a little hard to write because the things that plague Maria in her past aren't all that different from my past, and I used the memory of the pain to write this for her. Not just for Maria, but for myself as well. It was a reminder of the things I've conquered and overcome, as my past has not been altogether that great either. But I've grown to realize that it's just weighing me down, and once I did that, voila! Here is the new, happy, peppy writer I am. It's made me better.**

**Ah, so now, after my shpiel on that, I will warn you that there are many things in this chapter that are why this story is rated M. Very harsh language and sexual themes (bad ones, mind you) lie ahead. Just as a fair warning to you all so you can be prepared for it. I don't want to just throw it on you. They're not light subjects, after all.**

**So, without further ado, my lovelies, here is chapter 19! (Almost 20, OMG! XD)**

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><p>"Mari-chan, come with us!" I nod, following the girls along the beach. It's so pretty...this sunset. I'll have to come back if I can and paint this sunset. It's so beautiful that I find it really hard to breathe if I stare at it too long...<br>"Hey, Mari-chan, can we go up on that cliffside?" I look up at the cliff, and it looks safe enough. The incline isn't steep and there's no moss or slippery stuff up there. I see that even if they slip the fall isn't that far, and with four of us up there we'll be just fine. As long as we're together we should be fine.  
>"Yeah, it look safe enough. Why not?" I say, and they beam. I trail behind them, climbing the cliff with them. We're all still in our swimsuits, and the wind's a little strong at the top. I shiver a little, but it's really breathtaking and majestic. A little wind isn't going to stop me from looking at this gorgeous sunset. I can't help observing it from an artist's point of view.<p>

If I were to paint this, I'd have to blend purples and oranges together in just the right amount for the sky. The right mix of yellow, white, orange and red would make the sun. The beaches are peachy right now, the water is purple and blue and gray, and the trees are a dark greenish gray, some black mixed in. The definition and beauty I could create with this would be simply amazing. I'm sure I could create so many great paintings out here...I've got to get Kyoya to let me come out here and paint. It could even promote this resort place. I'm sure he'd like that, money grubber that he is.

"Hey, look at this! Look at all these cute girls!" I hear two drunken male voices, and my heart begins to race, startled.  
>"Dude, check it out, there's an American one! She's a total babe...just look at that rack!" The three girls and I spin around to look at the guys coming up the cliff. What the hell are they doing here? It's private property. They shouldn't be here, shouldn't even have access to the beach.<br>"Hey, what are you guys doing up here? This private land, so you don't belong here." I say, but they don't seem to be taking me seriously. Their eyes are too busy undressing all of us.  
>"Aw, c'mon babe...don't play hard to get. Why don't you and your friends come with us? We can show you a good time." I frown at them, crossing my arms. I thrust a hip out to the side. I'm not afraid to get sassy with these guys, and I can sure as hell scream if I need to. I'm sure I could land a punch or two in there somewhere. So I dare them to try me.<p>

"Thanks, but we're not interested. We're doing just fine on our own, so if you'd kindly leave, we can get back to what we were doing. Got that?" I say, making sure the girls gather around behind me. I've got to protect them at all costs. They're upper crust, and surely know absolutely nothing about what common boys can and will do to get some.  
>"Ooh, so we've got a feisty one. I've always heard that American girls have got a bit of a bite to them. I like that. C'mere...lemme show you a good time." One of them says, reaching out to grope my chest. I smack his hand away from me as he reaches to grab me.<br>"Dude, get lost! This is private property, understand? You don't belong here. Don't make me get the owner of this property. He's a nasty guy, and I don't think you want to mess with him." I say, threatening them. They just laugh at me. They obviously don't see any of us as much of a threat.

"Aw, come now. Don't you girls wanna hang with some locals?" One of the guys grabs me and pulls me way too close for comfort as the other guy grabs another of the girls who was stupid enough to try and make a run for it. It's clear that these creeps are up to no good at all and won't stop until they get what they want. And whatever they want isn't what we want, that's for sure.  
>"Hey, why don't you quit bothering them? Weren't you jerks listening? You better just leave them alone." I hear Haruhi say after a yelp from the other guy that I can't quite see. This is not good. I look to one of the girls that isn't under one of the guys' controls.<br>"Get down to the beach and find Kyoya! Get him out here with his damned police force to take care of these guys!" I shout to one of the girls, who makes a break for it down the beach as I struggle with the guy holding on to me.

"Stop your struggling, toots. I'll be nice and gentle...you'll like it, I promise. You're pretty cute, you know that? You American chicks are so hot..." His hands slide over my body and I shiver, then try to get out of his grasp. It doesn't work, seeing as I don't have a proper footing on the ground now that he's got me. His hands...he's touching me. I don't like this at all. The last time I was touched I got hurt. That last time I was touched it brought back all those bad things that happened to me...he needs to get his hands off of me. I don't want to relive those memories again.  
>"Let me go!" I scream, trying to wrench myself away from him. I'm not so much angry as I am upset. I want to cry. Why won't he just let me go? I hate this. This is scaring me...bringing back the demons in my past that I would rather just disappeared. But he doesn't listen, and as his hand reaches the waistband of my swimsuit, I manage to bite one of his arms. He yelps in pain.<p>

"You damn bitch! How dare you bite me!" He smacks me across the face and I fall against the rocks. I taste the blood in my mouth and I glare up at him. I start to stand, but he pushes me back against the rock. I glare up at him, sweep his legs out from under him, and pin him to the ground on his stomach with his hands on his back. I sit on him to try and keep him there, but he's really strong. I hope Kyoya hurries it up, because I don't know how long I can hold this guy.

Before I can react, I'm suddenly on my back. I feel the bruises forming as he presses me into the rocks, the pebbles slicing into my back. I flinch but try to fight the guy on top of me.

"You know, the more you struggle, the more this is gonna hurt, hun. C'mon, give a guy some love!" His hands run over my body again and I cry out, trying to get him off of me. He manages to push up the top of my bikini and starts to grope my breast.

_You're nothing, useless...a waste of time and energy. You should die. You deserve this._

No, not that voice. Oh God, not him. Anything but him. Please...stop!  
>"Please, stop! Leave me alone...I didn't do anything to you!" I cry out, struggling in vain.<p>

_You're a stupid bitch. I don't know why I even bothered to try with you._

"Aw, hun, don't worry. As long as you cooperate I won't hurt you one bit. You'll enjoy this."

_Even though it was a bother, though, I have to say...it was still pretty funny. Watching you pine over me like that._

God, please. Kyoya, please, save me! Someone!  
>"Leave her alone, you creep! Stop!" I hear a couple of the girls and through squinted eyes watch as they try to grab the guy on top of me. But he swings his arm and they dodge him, frightened and trembling. My arms are beating him, my fists pounding into his sides, but with him sitting on my legs I can't do any real damage. And that damn voice...why don't you leave me alone? Stop saying those things!<p>

_You're a stupid cunt. I should leave you here to rot. But then I'd be a murderer. And I don't want the police on my trail. I don't think anyone would miss trash like you._

I don't know when I started crying, but I sob and cry, no energy left as I try a last ditch effort to swing him off of me. It just ends up with him thrusting his hips into me with a grunt. My stomach turns and I want to be sick.

Please, someone, save me. Anyone. I can't fight him...

Then, I see the other guy starting to push Haruhi, and knowing that I can't get up and save her drives me completely crazy. My instincts are telling me to save her but I'm incapable as this man above me assaults my body. His hands run over my body again and he nips and bites at my skin as Haruhi takes a tumble off of the edge of the cliff.  
>"Haruhi!" I scream, but she falls off. Someone runs past her and dives off of the cliff. The man above me is thrown off of me, and immediately I sit up, trembling. Arms surround me and hold me, an arm around my back and a hand on the back of my head, holding me close.<p>

The blond hair tells me that it's Tamaki that's gone off the edge to rescue her. But who is it that's holding me? I start to struggle, but the arms aren't meant to hold me in a way that's obstructive or mean. I look up into the gorgeous, comforting eyes of Kyoya.

"Kyoya...why did you...?" I ask, and he shakes his head as Kaoru and Hikaru beat the crap out of the guys behind us. Serves them right.  
>"Tamaki wouldn't have forgiven me if I'd let that guy continue to assault you like that. You took quite a beating, didn't you? I'm so sorry, Maria. I didn't intend for this to happen." He pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and gently uses it to wipe the corner of my mouth. I wince slightly at this, pulling my swimsuit back down over my chest.<br>"Ow..." I say to myself, noticing just how much that cheek suddenly hurts. That guy must have hit me hard. It's about that time when I realize I have quite a bit of blood in my mouth, so I turn to the side and spit the best that I can. Not very ladylike or flattering, but I don't care. I hate the taste of blood. I feel more drip from my mouth, and Kyoya's gentle hand with the handkerchief is there to wipe away the blood.

"...Thanks, Kyoya." I say. I feel a hand swipe across my face as I look down at my feet.  
>"I didn't think anyone could do something like that to you. It seems I've overestimated your strength. For that, I apologize. He really frightened you, didn't he?" His hand swipes across my face again, this time the other cheek, and I look up at him. I start to sob some more...I'm completely vulnerable and scared. I don't care who it is...I need someone, anyone, to hold me. I surround Kyoya with my arms, pressing myself into him. I want him to be there...someone, I don't care who, but mostly him. He makes me feel safe as I cry into the crook of his neck. He holds me close, not letting me go until the twins mention something about going to see if Tamaki and Haruhi are alright.<p>

"Come on, Maria. Let's get down to the beach. Those men won't bother you anymore." I nod, standing with him and walking down to the beach with him, clinging to him.

* * *

><p>We get down to the beach as Tamaki brings Haruhi ashore.<p>

This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let Haruhi get involved. I should have sent her to the beach while I distracted those guys. Maybe then she wouldn't have been pushed around by those guys. As much as they scared me, she was the one who took a dive off of a cliff.

"Haru-chan!" I hear Honey-sempai say.  
>"Boss!" I hear the twins say. I walk slowly and carefully, since my run in with those guys roughed me up pretty bad. My back aches and is no doubt scraped and bruised from being thrown against the rocks and pressed into the cliff.<p>

"...Where'd they go?" Tamaki asks as Kyoya puts his shirt around Haruhi. I didn't even realize he'd taken it off. I guess...I'm pretty distracted. Understandably so, but nevertheless, I'm normally one for detail. I shiver, trying to shake off these feelings and the memory of those hands...  
>"We took their ID cards and respectfully asked them to leave. The girls all went back to the hotel, and I've called a doctor. He should be here shortly." I shake my head. When did he do all of this? I clung to him the entire time. It must have been before he got there.<br>"Thank you." Tamaki says, setting Haruhi down as she starts to talk back. I push my way forward to see her. I want to make sure she's alright regardless of how I'm feeling. I was really, truly scared for her when I saw her vanish over the edge of the cliff.

"Haruhi, are you alright? I'm so sorry about those guys...you didn't have to get so involved. I hope you aren't hurt..." I say to her softly, ignoring the boys around us. She looks up at me, then smiles.  
>"No, I'm not hurt. Just a little wet...I think the only thing that's bruised is my ego, Maria." I smile and nod, even though it's really hard to do right now.<p>

"What about you? Are you okay?" She asks me. I nod my head hesitantly. I can't tell her that my back is killing me and I can feel the blood oozing down it. I can't tell her that I'm doing my best to fight off the monsters of my past while in the midst of all of these guys. I can't tell her that I was assaulted by one of them.

"Yeah, just fine. I'm perfectly alright." I say, clutching Kyoya's handkerchief at my side so she can't see the blood all over it. The last thing I want is for her to worry about me. She took the fall...I just got pushed around a little bit.  
>"Mari-chan, what's wrong with your back? You're bleeding!" Honey-sempai shouts in worry. I turn and see tears in his eyes.<br>"It's alright, Honey-sempai. I just...fell down, that's all." I get a glare from Kyoya but ignore it. There's no way I'm going to tell any of them that I was sexually assaulted by one of those guys. I can't say it.  
>"What were you two thinking?" I turn to Tamaki, who is clearly upset.<p>

"You know, neither of you are like Honey-sempai. You aren't martial arts masters. Why did you both confront them? Maria, you went up against two boys on your own before Haruhi got there. Did you really think you could fend them off by yourself? Your bruises and wounds show that you couldn't even with Haruhi there. You both are girls! Two girls against two men!" I glare angrily at him. How dare he discriminate based on the fact that we are girls! How dare he say that!  
>"Tamaki, what gives you the nerve to talk like that? It doesn't matter that they were guys and we are girls! A person's sex has nothing to do with it. I was with those girls, Tamaki, and it wasn't like I was going to stand around and let them get hurt. I was defending them as much as I was defending myself. I was going to send Haruhi to the beach to get you guys, but she got assaulted by that other creep...if it weren't for the other guy I could have handled it just fine. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't handle myself." I say, my fists clenched and shaking. It makes me so angry when I'm discriminated against because I'm a girl. It doesn't matter if I'm a girl or not, anyone would have had trouble with those drunk bastards.<br>"That's where you're wrong, Maria. Your injuries show that. You were hurt and assaulted by those guys. You can't tell me that you could have handled it when you couldn't even fend off one guy on your own."

...He's right. He's really right. I couldn't even handle myself in a fight against one of those guys. I couldn't shake the one guy that was touching me and groping me. I couldn't do anything...but I'm not helpless. It took seeing Haruhi in danger in order for me to fend off the nightmares, yet I still couldn't throw the guy off of me. I was weakened by my past...weak against a drunk bozo from Okinawa. All because he was just stronger and I was crippled by my own monsters. How can I sit here and say I could have handled it? It's wrong of me to say that, completely wrong and utterly ignorant and stupid. What the hell am I thinking?

I clench and unclench my fists, angry and upset. I don't want to cry in front of them. I have to get away from them...away from this whole scene. I have to be left on my own. I need to think. I need to cry and let it all out on my own.

"...Fine. Whatever. I'm...going back to the villa." I mutter, turning on my heel and marching out of there before I say or do something I regret. I hear footsteps walking after me, and I turn to glare at the spectacled host.

"Don't follow me. I don't need a damn doctor." I say through gritted teeth. I make my way on my own back to the villa. I get back to my room, strip, and start the shower. I climb in, hissing as the hot water hits my back. I do my best to gently wash out all of the dirt and grime and the blood. I stand there under the water, letting it hit me as I think. I can hear the voices in my head again.

_You're a stupid cunt._

_You need to die. It would be better if you did._

_You're useless...stupid._

_You really think I loved you? You really are a stupid bitch. _

_You're a fucking waste. _

I start to cry again, and put my head in my hands as I do. I sob and cry and let it all out. God, why does he still do this to me even though two years have passed since that day? How does he still manage to get under my skin? I feel so sick and weak. I lean against the shower tiles and slide down to the bottom of the shower. I sit there for who knows how long, but when I start to feel cold water hit me I shut off the water and climb out of the shower.

I start to towel off and notice Kyoya's dirty handkerchief on the counter. I wrap the towel around me, my hair still untouched, and gently wash the handkerchief as tears silently fall down my face. God, does my heart hurt. My stomach hurts, my heart hurts, and I just want to curl up in a ball in a corner and cry until I fall asleep.

After I hang up the handkerchief, I dry off, then look at my back. It looks a whole lot uglier than it feels, so I pull over a t-shirt and jeans to relax in. I pull my hair up into a clip and flinch at feeling the fabric of my shirt and bra touching the scrapes. But I decide to grin and bear it as I walk out of the bathroom. When I do, I see Kyoya sitting at the table in my room. He looks up, stands, and walks over to me. He looks down at me, and I avert my gaze, wiping a tear from my face. I sniff and walk past him without a word, but he stops me with a hand on my wrist.

"Are you alright now? Have you calmed down some?" He asks, and for some reason...it makes me angry. I guess I'm just sensitive.  
>"I don't need your insults right now, Otori." I say back with as much menace as I can muster. It must not have been a lot because he isn't fazed in the least.<br>"I'm not insulting you, Maria. You were seriously injured. It's not very smart of you to lash out at Tamaki for being worried about you." I clench my fists at this. I don't want him to worry. No one is supposed to worry about me. I'm the one who should have been worried, not anyone else. Haruhi took the dive off of the cliff. I wasn't hurt that bad...with some time I'll be fine.  
>"I could have handled those guys just fine if...if that guy hadn't been..." I can't say the rest. I don't want to cry in front of Kyoya again. I've done enough of that for now.<br>"So you can fight back as long as someone isn't assaulting you? I don't see how it could have made any difference. You were defenseless against two drunken locals." I shake my head.  
>"You just don't get it. I could have saved Haruhi! If I had been strong enough to push away...to push <em>it<em> away...I could have gotten to her in time and saved her! I could have done it, Kyoya, I know I could have! I'm not weak, I'm not! I could've...I could've done it...really, I could've..." I say, trying to stay composed. But it's just becoming insanely hard to do at this point.  
>"What was 'it', then, that was holding you back?" I give him a look of pure horror. I know it's horror because it's mimicking what I'm feeling on the inside.<p>

No, I can't say it. I can't tell him. No one can know. No one but Tori knows. No one can know what he did to me. No one can know how he hurt me. No one can know what my past has done to me.

"..." I don't say anything, only shake my head.  
>"I'm not inclined to believe you could have handled those boys if you don't tell me your reasoning, Maria. A temporary lapse in judgment? Or maybe you were scared by the guy that was touching you?" I shake my head.<br>"I...can't tell you. I'm sorry. It's something I don't like to talk about." I say, looking at my feet. He sighs. It's silent between us for a moment until he speaks again.

"So even someone with the toughest skin among us can be shaken. You're not as impervious as you seem, Maria." I shake my head. I never try to be...because I never could be impervious.  
>"If you ever thought I was, you're mistaken. I may keep a lot of emotions hidden, but I'm not impervious and I don't have a very tough skin. Not when it comes to those kinds of things." I say. He nods.<br>"Well, I think Honey-sempai was saying something about you helping him cook dinner tonight. He should be in the kitchen. He's looking for you." I nod, brushing past him. But just as I do, he speaks again.  
>"Don't think for a moment that I'm going to drop this, Maria. You worried the others. Until I find out why, I won't stop asking." I shrug at this, defeated by this point and not willing to do any more than put up a big fat wall around myself.<p>

"You'll be asking for a long time, then." I say, leaving him behind in my room.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, so...the end! Of this chapter, anyway. As you can see, Maria is clearly not stable and very hostile. I hope you have realized by now that her hostility is a way of protecting herself, and that she's not really like that...<strong>

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I look forward to seeing what you all have to say! I love you guys so much...so don't be too hard on me. Please?**

**Thank you so much! All my love!**

**~B-chan**


	20. Thunderstruck

**Alright my lovelies, this is my late Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/holiday present to you: the moment you all have been waiting for. **

**So first, before I go into my shpiel about it, I have to thank all four of my reviewers! Thanks so much to Akemi Tatsuyoshi, Miss Random Person XD, LunarMagick, and EbonyPrincess22 for leaving me wonderful reviews. You don't know how happy you made me with those reviews, you really don't. Best Christmas present I ever could have gotten!**

**So, here is my shpiel. I've already told you how Maria is basically emotionally unstable. If you didn't think it could get any worse, well, you're in for a big surprise then. She goes off the deep end, her and Kyoya's feelings are (more or less) revealed, though they don't know that yet, and the tension reaches a climax. I hope you enjoy it, as I'm simply going to leave it at that and wait to see what your reactions are to this overly dramatic chapter.**

**This marks my 20th chapter, and I couldn't be happier that I've managed to stick with this story thus far. Thank you all so much for your support, as it really keeps me eager to write more. I love you all and hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

><p>"Ta-da!" Honey-sempai says as he, Mori-sempai and I put food on the table and set it.<br>"Don't they look yummy?" Honey-sempai asks as Kyoya approaches from the other side of the table.  
>"I apologize that there aren't any maids around to help you cook." He says to us, though I remain silent. I have no wish to draw attention to myself or speak. I'm just not in the mood.<br>"It's no big deal! We appreciate you letting us stay here." Honey-sempai says in response to Kyoya. He then turns to Mori-sempai.  
>"Hey Takashi, will you get Haru-chan?" The stoic man silently agrees and leaves the room to retrieve Haruhi.<p>

I walk to the window and look outside. It's kind of gloomy, which Honey-sempai points out to Kyoya. The twins comment on how it's gloomy in here, and I notice Tamaki sitting in the corner. I'm not mad at him anymore...he was just being protective, and I knew that. Besides, I don't need him to protect me anyway. I can take care of myself just fine.

The outside is mimicking what I'm feeling right now. Somehow...it's so cliché, but whenever you feel horrible the weather feels that, too.

We sit down when everyone's present, and it's really awkward and tense between Tamaki and Haruhi. They're not speaking to each other apparently, and Haruhi makes a point of messing around with the crab in order to get back at Tamaki. She's eating so much, though...is she going to be alright? That can't be healthy in the smallest sense. Kyoya's writing in his notebook, for whatever reason, and it kind of bugs me. Aren't you supposed to pay full attention to the meal and your guests when at dinner? Not write down God-knows-what in some private notebook?

I swear, that thing has got to hold either the world's darkest secrets or a Death Note in it. That's the only reason he would have it on him all the time.

Whatever. I eat my fill so that I can go relax and be alone in my room. I don't really want to be around the others right now...I'm still not feeling normal from the confrontation at the cliff. The little bits of my memory that are coming back to me are scaring me. I've shut them out...but it seems that doesn't matter anymore. They want to resurface. And at the worst possible time, too, right when I'm among people that I don't want to tell these deep, dark secrets that are probably my deepest and darkest of all.

Tamaki, in his anger, leaves the room along with Kyoya. I decide I need to leave as well. So I go to my room, sit down on the floor and lean against the bed. I stare off into the distance, the lights on very bright so that it's not dark. If it were dark, things would be worse. Much, much worse.

I sit there for a while and just think. I recite a mantra in my head over and over to make the bad things go away...just like Tori told me to do. Things are slowly receding into the back of my mind, the words finally disappearing and his voice fading away. For that, I'm thankful beyond words, beyond all feelings. To have him again shut out of my head and left in silence is wonderful.

Tori's the one that found me the first time. She's the one that comforted me during that long weekend. She's the one that held me and let me cry. She mended my broken heart...picked up the pieces and gave them back to me to fix for myself, actually. That's why we're even closer now...I rely on her for everything, sometimes, especially when I'm feeling this way. I kind of wish she was here with me now...so she could hold me and tell me it's okay. So I could cry and have her hold me and comfort me. She's always protected me...just as I've always protected her.

Tori, where are you when I need you?

I hear a loud ringing from across the room in my bag, and I stand up to go answer it. I sit back down against the bed as I do.

"Hello?" I say in English. It's a number from America, so it's got to be my family.  
>"Maria? Are you okay?" I hear Tori's voice, and I smile. She knew...she knew I wasn't feeling well. She knew I was upset. She always knows...it's just her weird ESP thing I guess.<br>"Yeah, Tori, I'm great. I'm at the beach. Why are you calling me? Isn't it some ungodly hour there?" She laughs.  
>"Yeah, well, I woke up feeling like something was really wrong with you. Cold sweats and racing heart, and I was kind of worried. I figured I better call and make sure, if only so I could go back to sleep. There's no school or anything, but I just wanted to find out from you." I smile. She's always there. That's comforting to me.<br>"No, I'm actually just fine." I say. She sighs.  
>"I have something to tell you anyway." I cock an eyebrow.<br>"Like what?" I ask. She sighs again, this time a little shakier. I can tell she's running her hand through her hair and fidgeting, just by her mannerisms over the phone. I just...know.  
>"...Papa got a new job in Arizona. We're moving again...mama was going to call you later this week and tell you that you needed to come home early this summer to help us pack and move."<p>

I'm shocked by this. Moving? Again? And so soon?

"How much earlier?" I ask. She pauses.  
>"I don't know, I think she said something about...next weekend."<br>"I don't know about that, Tori...I still have school this next week. Nothing important, so if I absolutely have to come home I can...but I'd rather come home on time, you know?"  
>"Yeah, but mama's going to ask you anyway. I just thought I'd tell you now, give you some more time to say your goodbyes to your loverboy." I face-palm.<br>"Tori, would you knock it off already? He's not my loverboy. No one is." She giggles.  
>"Ah, well, you'll change your mind soon enough. Anyway, I'm really tired, so I'm going to go back to bed. Okay?" I smile.<br>"Alright, sounds good. Sleep tight, alright?" She laughs.  
>"Yeah, you too. Good night!"<br>"Night, Tori." I hang up after that, and then set my phone down. I sigh heavily. Why is this always happening? Them moving doesn't really affect anyone except Ana, mama and papa. Tori's pretty much guaranteed a spot at Ouran as it is. I just have to wait for the letter.

I stand and go to the bathroom, and I notice the handkerchief still there. I touch it, and it's dry, so I take it down and fold it neatly. It's pristine white...I guess I did a good job of washing the thing.

"I better go give this back. He'll probably want it, knowing him...such a tightwad." I say to no one in particular, leaving my room. I have to remember...which room is Kyoya's?

"Hmm...I think it's at the end of the hall...if I remember from the little map I got..." I continue to walk down the hall, and when I get to the end I see two doors.

"Right or left? Dammit, I wish I could remember..." I turn to the left and open the door. It's dark in there, so I close it and turn back to the other door. It, too, is dark. So I have to play the guessing game.

"Well, if they're both dark, I guess I should just find the one with Kyoya's stuff in it...that makes sense, right?" I open the door to the left again, and I notice Kyoya's bag on the floor in front of the wardrobe. Why didn't I notice that when I first came in?

Where is he, anyway? Didn't he leave after dinner?

Well, whatever the case, I'll just drop off the handkerchief on the table and leave. He'll know I came by, at least, to drop it off.

I get to the table and I see his glasses sitting there. Why are his glasses here? I know they're his because of the shape and the lack of a frame around the oval lenses. The contours resemble the ones he wears on his face...identical, actually. So...is he sleeping? Showering?

I set the handkerchief down and turn toward the bed. Maybe I'll catch him sleeping. That would be interesting, and kind of funny.

But what I see there certainly isn't funny, though quite interesting. At least in the way it makes me feel.

Kyoya, shirtless, towering over Haruhi...they're laying on the bed. Why?

And what...what the hell is this feeling? Why do I feel so...upset all of a sudden? Is it just my emotions or...is this really what I'm feeling right now?

"M-Maria, I...I'm so...it's not...it's not what it looks like!" I hear Haruhi stutter in embarrassment, and as much as I want to look away, I can't seem to tear my eyes away. I'm nearly completely frozen in shock.

Why does it feel like my heart is wanting to rip itself apart inside my chest? Why do I feel so angry and...betrayed? Heartbroken?

Is that what I'm really feeling right now? _Betrayal_ and..._heartbreak_?

Before I can stop myself, before I even get the chance to really think for myself, words come spilling out of my mouth.

"I-I just came by to give you b-back your handkerchief...I didn't know I was i-interrupting the two of you. I'm sorry..." I stutter, turning and leaving as fast as I can. I've got to get out of here, fast.

I'm so angry, so _hurt_...why? It doesn't make sense! Why am I so emotional and upset over this? Why do I feel like I've just been...stabbed in the heart? Am I just feeling the after effects of earlier this evening? Am I just getting sick in the head?

Why is it suddenly so hard to _breathe_? Why do I suddenly just want to cry?

I don't understand what's going on with me..._why_ do I _**feel**_ this way? What is it that's causing me to just...come apart at the seams?

_No one loves you. No one could love you. You love me? Pathetic, stupid, ignorant bitch._

God no, not that voice again...anything but that...please, just stop! Stay away from me and don't come back!

_It would be so much easier if you just disappeared. None of this would have happened if you had._

I head back to my room, and even there I don't find any solace. He could follow me, come here and try to explain...see me breaking down. I have to get away, run and hide like I always do. I'm always a coward. When my emotions take over me, I have to run. I have to be alone. I have to get away. I can't let anyone know how vulnerable I am. I don't want them to use it against me. I can't...this hurts too much.

_You're a stupid cunt. You should just die. No one cares about you. No one._

I slip on my shoes and bolt out of the door, making my way from the villa. I have to leave. I'm just glad no one sees me. The last thing I need is for someone to ask why I'm crying and running.

_If you were to die no one would miss you. It's better, anyway. At least no one would have to hurt you anymore._

It's thundering, there's lightning, and it's pitch dark...but I don't care if I end up soaked to the bone. I have to get away. I _have_ to. I just_ have_ to.

* * *

><p>"Kyoya-sempai...don't you think you should go after her?" The spectacled host looks at Haruhi as they sit on his bed. The young teen has a worried look in her eyes, which is confusing to the older male.<br>"Why should I?" He asks her, putting his glasses on his face.  
>"It's clear she was confused and upset by what happened. You should go tell her that there was nothing going on. It is your fault, after all." Hearing this, the spectacled host gets the same feeling. He should go tell her the truth. He should clear things up. He does feel a little bit guilty, too, just because now everything he's worked to build has probably been torn down.<p>

He'd been without his glasses, but even a blind man could have seen the look on her face. Betrayal. Anger. Hurt. All of them, mixed into one, creating what seemed to be this...agony on her face. Somewhere in his chest, Kyoya felt his heart lurch. His stomach had clenched in guilt, if ever so slight. She had walked in at a very, very bad time. That look she'd given was haunting.

The real question was why she had looked that way. Why had she been so hurt, upset, and angry? Why did she feel betrayed? His methods...what he'd been doing...they couldn't have been working, could they? Was he really breaking down that wall she'd placed around herself? Had he managed to get her to feel something for him?

There was only one way to find out. He stands from the bed.

"You're right, Haruhi. I suppose that would be the right thing to do." He says, putting on his shirt. He leaves Tamaki alone with Haruhi and starts off in the direction of Maria's room.

He gets there, enters, and though all of the lights are on full-blast, there is no one in the room. Her phone lies untouched on the floor next to the bed and her bag is open, various things piled on top of it. But there's no one in the room. He sees her cell phone flash, and picks it up. He notices one missed call and one voicemail and, out of curiosity, starts the recording.

_You have one unheard message...first unheard message._

_Maria? Maria, dammit, pick up your phone! I know I called you earlier and believed you, but now this is ridiculous! What's going on? Are you alright? Please call me back, please! I'll listen, I'll do whatever it takes. Just please don't do anything stupid. John can't get to you. He can't hurt you. Just calm down, please! Call me back, okay?_

With that, the message—which was in English—ends, leaving the boy confused. Who was John? Someone from her past? And just what was it that Tori knew that made her freak out that much about her sister? What was it that Tori was so scared about? What could have made her break down in tears over the phone?

He leaves and goes down the hallway, wondering where Maria went, leaving her phone on her bed.

He bumps into the twins, who are on their way to their room.

"Have either of you seen Maria? I can't seem to find her...I need to speak with her." Hikaru shrugs, but Kaoru answers him.  
>"We saw her about ten minutes ago. She ran out of the villa...she was crying! We were going to follow but...it's raining pretty hard outside." Kaoru says.<br>"She's got to be insane, going out there in the middle of a storm! She was going too fast, so we couldn't have stopped her anyway." Says Hikaru. Kyoya nods, walking past the twins.

Crying and walking out into a storm. This girl really was crazy, he mused. She was crazy, interesting...and yet he was aggravated by her because she was so damned difficult to figure out. Today had been the first day he'd seen her get scared and defensive. He'd never seen her weak or helpless, never seen her scared and upset. He'd never seen her cry. Today, that had all changed. She'd been hurt by the two boys up on the cliff, but the aftereffects were bothering her more than the actual event itself.

_I can't tell you. It's something I don't like to talk about._

_You'll be asking for a long time, then._

Her words echoed in his mind. She was hurting from God-knows-what in her past. She hadn't let it go. It had resurfaced today...on a day she decides to relax and take it easy, she gets assaulted by two local boys. It figures she'd be the one to get in trouble.

His heart tugs a little at this. He...he does feel something for her that's more than friendship. He would admit that much. But that couldn't be the reason she'd ran out into the storm. It's got to be from her incident earlier that day, right?

He grabs an umbrella and makes his way out into the storm. He's going to go find her and bring her back. He's going to get his answers no matter what it takes. He's responsible for her while she's here...he has to at least get her back into the villa.

* * *

><p>Tori was the one that made me fall in love with the rain.<p>

The rain always makes you feel better, she said, because it's always sympathizing with you. It always knows when you're hurting, and it's always hurting as well. She said that if you're ever sad, go out into the rain. The rain is always going to be sadder than you are. It'll make you feel better, she explained.

She was right, in a way. With the thunder and lightning, I'm not scared of this dark. It's nighttime, but it doesn't matter. The lightning creates enough light for me to see. Besides, why focus on the dark when I'm sitting here in my own turmoil? I have a whole lot more to deal with than the damn darkness.

Am I really...feeling this way? I thought it was impossible for me to feel this way again. After what happened two years ago, I didn't think I could ever...fall again. I didn't think I could feel so strongly about someone again.

I didn't feel this way at all until I saw that. I saw him...towering over her...pressing her to the bed...

I got so insanely, madly, aggravatingly _jealous_ of her in that moment. I wanted to _be_ her. I've never wanted something so bad in my _life_, not even years ago.

I'm so frustrated. Why do I _feel_ this way? Why do I see his face_ every_ time I close my eyes? Why does my heart _ache_ every time I think of what I saw? Why, why, why?

I don't understand! I'm not supposed to be able to feel this way again until my heart has healed from last time. I...I haven't healed! Why am I feeling so strongly about him now? What is it that's caused me to feel this way?

I don't even like Kyoya as a friend half of the time! How can I be falling for him like this?

What the hell is wrong with me?

"You know, there are better places to go than out into the rain if you're upset. You're going to catch a chill." I hear that voice...his voice. I want to cry at hearing it.

Why did you follow me? Why are you here? Are you trying to torture me? Are you trying to rip me apart? Is karma laughing in my face? Is this what I get for trying to live a life I could never have, live under the pretense that I can do whatever I please? Is this karma getting back at me for trying to do something better with myself?

I ignore his statement. I'm not going to listen to him talk to me. I just want to be left alone. I don't care if I'm soaked to the bone right now. I don't care if I'm shivering. I don't care if I have tears running down my face. I just don't give a damn! I want to be left alone, in peace, where I can mull over my thoughts on my own!

"..Why did you follow me?" I ask without turning around, voice barely above a whisper. I'm not even sure if he heard me. But he answers, so he must have.  
>"It's my duty as the host to watch over all of those that stay at my family's villa. You are one of those people. Now, care to explain to me why you decided that taking a walk in the rain was a good idea?"<p>

I ignore him again. Just go away, you prick. I don't want to hear your comments right now. You're only making things worse, only making them more confusing.

"Well, are you going to answer me, or am I going to have to stand here all night holding the umbrella over you?"

I haven't even noticed that my face is no longer being pelted with rain. I reach up and push back the umbrella.

"I don't need you to stand out here. I can get back to the villa on my own. Just...leave me alone." I whisper, tears running down my face. I'm glad it's raining on my face again. That way he doesn't know that I'm crying. That would be...awful. The last thing I need is to give him a reason to ridicule me.  
>"It's not exactly right for a gentleman to leave a woman out in the rain, now is it? Especially when she's clearly crying and quite upset. Though the reason why doesn't seem very clear at the moment."<p>

It's because of you, moron. Not like I'd tell you that anyway.

It's all your fault. All yours. Yours because you messed with my heart. Yours because you made your way past all of my defenses and affected me so deeply by whatever it was you were trying to pull with Haruhi.

"..." I don't answer him. I'm not going to tell him why. That would make me a fool and an idiot, among other things. Why say something when you're not completely sure? Why say something when you're just as confused as the asking party?

"Kyoya, just leave me be, alright? Go back to Haruhi. It's clear you'd much rather be in her company."

Dammit, you idiot, why did you say that? It's going to be so obvious to him that you're jealous of her! You're digging your own grave here! How could you say something like that at the worst possible time? God, what is wrong with you? You stupid idiot!

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your tone, Maria? That's not something I'd expect from you...although..." The next moment, I'm staring into his eyes. We're both under the umbrella...he's holding me. Why is he holding me? What is he trying to say? Is he trying to confuse me? Refute what I saw? What's his whole point?

And why do I find it so hard to want to pull away? Why do I feel like clinging to him and never letting go?

God, I'm so _fucking_ stupid!

"It's quite comedic, your jealousy...it's not something I'd expect you to feel. If you want, I can offer you the same treatment I gave Haruhi." He tilts my chin up to look at him and moves in. He's...what's he doing? Is he going to...he wouldn't, would he?

But...what he said...why do I feel so angry? It makes me...furious. So furious, in fact, that what I do next I can't help but immediately regret.

My hand lays across his face. I hear the smack even over the sound of the thunder. I glare at him, and my anger takes over as I feel the sting of my slap on my hand.

"Don't fuck with me, Otori! You're just playing with me, you asshole! You're messing around with something that you have no right to mess with! I'm not some toy you can manipulate to your heart's content! I'm a whole lot more volatile than you give me credit for, and if you think for a moment that you can mess around with my emotions and my feelings, think again! Just because I've told you some things about myself and trusted you a little up to this point doesn't mean you know anything about me! You know nothing at all about me or how I feel. You don't know me, Kyoya. You can think all you want that you can read people and get into their heads, but I won't let you do it to me! Just because you think you can break me down and get inside my head doesn't mean that I'll let it happen! I don't care what I have to do, but if you're just going to mess around and treat me like some plaything, you can forget it. I won't run in circles with manipulative bastards ever again. The way you've been acting...treating me so nicely...and then messing around and being an ass to me...you don't get it, do you? You can't treat me that way! I won't let you! If I do, then I'm a fool for letting it happen a second time, and you're no better than the bastard that hurt me in the first place! Damn it, Kyoya, I hate you! I really, really fucking hate you right now!" He stares at me as I say this, shock all over his face. I'd literally screamed all of this in his face. It would make sense that he's shocked...

...Did I really just say all of that? Did I really just...go off the deep end? Did I really just tell him off, comparing him to a man he doesn't even know, a man he's never once met? A man of my past? A man so vile and cruel that he makes Kyoya look like a saint?

I don't mean that. He's not like that guy...I was just angry. But it's not like my ego will let me right that wrong. I just said anything to get back at him...to make it so that he understood how hurt I was, to make him hurt maybe half as much as I do right now. I want him to feel that anger, but...he's not like that monster in my past. I don't think...he's capable of it.

Damn it, Maria, why the hell did you act out on your emotions? Why did you say those things? Why say things you didn't mean, you stupid bitch? Why did you have to be a nasty bitch to him? You like the damn asshole, you idiot! You like him and you sit here and lash out at him for something that's not even his fault.

_It is his fault. He's the one pushing and pulling your feelings. He's the one that has been messing with your emotions. He's the one that's been confusing you._

My mind is trying to trick me with that statement. There's no way he did that...right?

Fuck, I don't even know! I don't know anymore...

...What am I going to do? What can I do to make this right? My feelings haven't changed.

What am I going to do now?

It seems clear to me, as I make my way back to the villa and leave him standing there, that I'll be going home sooner than I thought. A whole lot sooner. I have to think this over...I have to let what happened to me sink in. I have to go back home, far away from this problem. Run away and regroup to try again later when I'm more coherent. It's not like me to just give in to my emotions like that. It's not like me to sit there and lash out at people who upset me. I'm more rational than that...though at that moment, it was clear that wasn't the case. I have to clear my head. A couple of months in the states should do me some good.

And the next morning, I'm on a flight to L.A.

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><p><strong>Ooh, drama, drama, DRAMA! I've always been the drama queen. Guess that comes across in Maria too. Talk about drama, eh?<strong>

**So, this marks the end of this arc to the story. When we resume things will move quickly through the summer, then slow down almost to a crawl. I've got a lot ahead of you guys and some amazing stuff planned for the future. I just have to motivate myself to push through this part I'm in right now, which puts me in a funk almost every time I try to write on it. But I will persevere!**

**Thank you all so much for supporting me and I hope you liked this chapter. Please don't be too hard on me...okay?**

**Much love and happy holidays!**

**~B-chan**


	21. The Storm Has Passed and A New Day Comes

**Alright, my lovelies, I am so happy to be here. I updated only yesterday but I got five great reviews. **

**I would like to thank Akemi Tatsuyoshi, AhhMyLife, Thirsty4MoreBloodAndWords13, Miss Random Person XD, and EbonyPrincess22 for reviewing this and being so nice. I love that you accepted that chapter so well...I had my sister (Tori is her name, haha!) proofread it and she said 'it's too dramatic.' But...well, that's literally how I envisioned it happening, so I couldn't change it. Maria would have killed me, since that's what she basically told me. And yes, she talks to me in my dreams. She gets quite annoying at times.**

**Oh, and I never did tell you. My real name is Mareah. It sounds exactly like Maria, it's just spelled weird. My mother's curse on me. That's where the inspiration for my character's name came from, haha.  
><strong>

**So, this is the next arc of the chapter. It's really slow, kind of pointless, but it leads up to something you guys are certainly looking forward to: Romance! I'm happy because today I got to write some cute fluffiness between Maria and Kyoya. Teehee. It's much farther ahead of you guys, but still, this writer is happy to be writing. I think my record so far today is 28 pages of written material since I got up until now. That's a lot but when you type at 100 to 120 words a minute it's not that hard to do. It's one of my longer feats, though, that's for sure.**

**So, enough of my babbling! Here is chapter 21!**

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><p><em>{L.A.X., Los Angeles, California}<strong><br>**_

I step into the terminal of the L.A. airport and sigh. I see my mother standing there with open arms as I walk from the mob of people. She embraces me and I smile at her. Tori's standing there behind my mother and gives me a look behind my mother's back. She's clearly not convinced that I came home just because of what she told me.

She never is. She knows I lied to her. But whatever the case, I'm glad to be home. I missed my mama anyway. I missed the family. The next couple of months are going to be a great getaway for me.

"Shall we go? I suppose you're tired and hungry." I nod.  
>"For sure! I'm starving!" I tell her, and they laugh as we walk out of the terminal.<p>

I get home, eat some of mama's home cooking—the best thing that ever existed—and head straight to bed. I don't even want to think about Japan or Ouran or Kyoya. No one, nothing, not my past, just the emptiness of sleep and the comforting peace it brings.

Man, it's good to be home.

**~*A Couple of Weeks Later*~**

"Alright, hun, that one goes in the master bedroom." I nod to my mama as I haul the boxes into her bedroom. I'm helping to move them into their new home in Arizona. My father isn't here and hasn't been for the past couple of weeks, which I'm glad. This move has helped me take my mind off of what's going on back in Japan. I haven't even had time to think by myself, only do what my mama asks of me. Tori hasn't even interrogated me yet. But that's all going to change once things settle down, I just know it.

She's just way too perceptive for her own good.

I go to bed that night, glad to relax after a long day, but just as I'm teetering on the line between restfulness and sleep, my door opens. Tori clicks on my light and shuts the door behind her, a serious look on her face.

"Maria, we need to talk. Now. And you're not going to evade me." I sigh. I knew this was coming. In all honesty I wanted to talk to her about it anyway...keeping it locked up inside me is killing me. I have to tell someone, anyone, what I'm feeling and what I'm trying to figure out. And who better to tell than my sister?

I run my hand through my hair as she sits at the foot of my bed. She crosses her arms and stares at me, a serious look on her face. I shrug.

"What do you want to know?" I ask her. She frowns at me.  
>"Why did you come back early?" That's an easy one.<br>"Because you said I needed to come back early."  
>"No, what's the real reason you came back so early?"<p>

Haha, nice one, Tori. Nice one. Way to be more specific.

"...Kyoya and I had a...bit of a problem." I whisper softly. She sighs.  
>"I thought as much. What happened? And start at the beginning." I nod.<p>

I tell her everything. How I was assaulted at the beach...how Kyoya stopped me from jumping off of the cliff. How I got a hold of Kyoya's handkerchief and avoided telling him about my past. How my past was bothering me the rest of the time I was there. What happened between Kyoya and Haruhi and how that made me feel. How I ran out into the thunderstorm in the middle of the night. How I started to feel like I was going crazy...the things that were coming back to haunt me. How Kyoya decided to stupidly toy with my feelings, and how I lashed out at him because of it. How I melodramatically blew out of proportion all of the things that I felt by lashing out at him, because I decided in my mind at that moment—out of ignorance—that he was no better than the guy in my past. How I felt so much regret and anger...how hurt I felt. How much I realized I was connected with Kyoya.

I told her absolutely everything. I'm crying by this point, feeling so guilty. I just want to run back and apologize, but my ego tells me no. Besides, what could I have gained anyway? It's not like things would have been serious even if I had come back and admitted how I felt. Nothing would have happened anyway.

She slaps me afterward. I look at her in shock. What did she do that for?

"Man, you really are an idiot!" Is the first thing that comes out of her mouth. I stroke my cheek as she continues.

"You really are an idiot, you are! I can't even believe we're related! How could you do that? You know how upset you get when things in your mind go haywire. You may be one of the most calm and composed people I know, but when your emotions get in the way you go crazy! You know this, yet you brought on more drama and more stupidity for yourself. Stop being a damn drama queen!"

I continue to stare at her. She's insulting me, but this time...I have nothing to say back.

"This guy likes you, and you like him! He's just a guy, Maria. He's not the end all and be all. Yeah, you were freaked out because you felt something romantic for the first time in a long time. I get it, alright? But really, did you really feel the need to get so violently angry with Kyoya? I mean, come on, he may be really irritating, but the guy is rational if nothing else. You could have calmly told him that you didn't like what he was doing. As for your past, well, he was just curious. He cares about you, Maria. When are you going to believe me when I tell you something? Why do you always have to be so stubborn? Just because you like someone doesn't mean you have to freak out! Chill out, okay?"

"Tori, I...I was scared. I didn't—"  
>"Don't make excuses! I don't want to hear them! When we get back to Japan you are going to apologize and tell him the truth, got it? Just grow up, man up, and deal with your problems! If he's sincere then he'll wait until you're ready to tell him why you're so afraid of being romantic with guys. You need to take a chill pill. You always were too much of a drama queen."<p>

I'm in shock for a moment, and then I smile. Yeah, it's going to take me some time before I can legitimately say that I'm okay, but I guess...I guess it's not as bad as I made it out to be. We'll have to see how the rest of the summer goes. I have to give myself some time to let what she's said sink in. She's my sister, and she's only 15...but she's certainly much more mature than I am right now.

Only time will allow me to think everything through and come to a much more mature conclusion. Tori's right. I'm not usually like this...only when it's come to boys. I've only ever been a drama queen over boys. I need to just...tear myself away from the situation for a while and come back when I've settled down and forgotten about it. I need to think it through.

I just need to forget about it and enjoy the summer. I'll fix it when I go back to school, or whenever I see Kyoya next. I have to make sure this is really how I feel, though. I can't just assume I like him just because I got jealous. I have to really mean it, which means I have to just...forget about it.

Forget about it, then think about it. That seems to be the theme. Hopefully good things can come from this...temporary lapse of judgment on my part, once it's all fixed.

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><p><strong>It ended up being so short. But that's the end! I think the next chapter is all filler, so I may upload it anyway without waiting for some reviews...we'll see if I do it or whether I get lazy.<strong>

**Thank you all so much for the support and I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Keep the feedback (good or bad) coming! I love hearing it!**

**Much love!**

**~B-chan**


	22. Gearing Up for Next Semester

**So in the twenty minutes or so that I've had the other chapter out, I got another review.**

**Thank you so much to Miss Random Person XD. She really is a sweet reviewer. I always look forward to what she has to say. Thanks for saying my name's cool, hun! It's hard when you have to make people spell it all of the time, but hey, I learn to deal with it. Thanks for sticking with me! **

**So here's chapter 22, a random filler chapter that's full of nothing but shopping and pondering and girly stuff. Kind of boring but kind of necessary, since it leads into the next chapter. Have fun!**

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><p>"Tori, where did I pack the dishes?" I shout to my sister, who's busy unpacking her room in our new apartment. She pokes her head out of the door.<br>"I don't know...it says silver something or other on it, I think. I don't know though." She says, uninterested. I face-palm.

She's a lot of freakin' help.

"Here it is! Thank Jesus that I found it." I shout. Haruhi comes in from the living room, holding up the DVD stand that I'd asked her to assemble.  
>"Where do you want this, Maria?" I look up at her, then smile.<br>"Oh, set it next to the TV stand somewhere. I have to set up that stand yet, too..."  
>"I'll do it, don't worry. You continue to unpack. I'll assemble everything you bought yesterday." I nod.<br>"Thanks, Haruhi. You're a savior." She smiles at me and goes back to the living room as I try to assemble the large kitchen. There are so many cupboards now, since our apartment is so huge. I don't know if I even have enough to fill up half of these cupboards.

Why did we decide on an apartment this big again?

Oh, right, it has an upstairs studio for me to work in that's also insulated enough for Tori to practice. It was certainly worth it, since there is a beautiful view up in that studio as well. It's also close enough for us to commute easily enough, and it's in a much more secure neighborhood. It's clean, nice, and doesn't smell in the least. It's got an American influence, meaning there is tile and carpet instead of tatami mats. That's a definite bonus.

I manage to organize the kitchen just as I hear a knock on my door. I raise an eyebrow and go to the door, only to see Haruhi answer it first.

"Oh, Tamaki-sempai, what are you doing here?"  
>"Haruhi! My lovely daughter, have you also decided to move in with Mari-chan?"<br>"No...I'm helping her and her sister get organized. That's all."  
>"Oh, where is my dear princess?"<br>"Maria? Or Tori?"  
>"Both of them!" I walk into the living room, then to the door. Tori beats me to the door all the way from her room.<br>"Tamaki, darling, I missed you!" She says, throwing herself into his arms. I shake my head at this.  
>"Are you ready, my princess?" She beams.<p>

Ready for what?

"Maria, my room is unpacked, so I'll be back later to help with the rest of the house! Tamaki wanted to see me today so I said it was okay. Bye!" And with that, she takes off, leaving me there with my jaw on the floor.

Since when did I give her the okay to go and do that? Now Haruhi and I have to finish this place by ourselves! And Haruhi's not even going to be living here!

"Um, Maria...what just happened?" I sigh, turning around to go back to my room.  
>"I have no idea...I don't even think I want to know." I say over my shoulder. I make it into my room, noticing how the damn thing isn't even close to being unpacked. None of my clothes are out of the wardrobe boxes, my bookshelves are empty, I have boxes of stuff piled to the ceiling. My antique piano that had been sitting in my room at home is still packaged in bubble wrap up in the studio, which kind of makes me sad but is necessary. I have so much ahead of me it's not funny. I decide to do all of the things that don't involve my wardrobe first.<p>

Haruhi helps me, asking me about books as we unpack them. I'm glad I transferred my entire library from home to here. It fills up this spacious room quite a bit.

"Maria, why so many books?"  
>"Well, when I was younger I used to be really into classical literature. I still am, and I was a huge writer when I was younger. I don't really do it that much anymore. Painting has pretty much taken over my entire life, free time and otherwise."<br>"So is that why there's everything here from _To Kill A Mockingbird_ to _Inferno_?"  
>"And<em> The Rainmaker<em>, _Good Earth_, _Frankenstein_, _Little Women_...the list goes on and on. Then I have all of my art books, reference materials and 'how-to' guides. Just in case I decide to do something different I have references to get my ideas from." I say as I start to assemble all of the art materials/references/books on the third bookshelf. The amount of books I have...I have a small library. Nevertheless, I will proudly say I have read every book no less than six times. They've definitely filled their worth.

Then, when I have all of that stuff situated, I open the wardrobe boxes and start to organize the clothes on my new bed, a gift to me from my mother for my 18th birthday a few weeks ago. Who knew she'd had the damn thing for years but had never taken it out of the box? She said when they moved she had remembered it and decided to give it to me. I gave Tori my old bed and so now I have a huge bed and Tori has a small but spacious one.

I organize my clothes by type. T-shirts, jeans, sweaters, sweatpants...I have everything under the sun here, and most of it I don't wear. Some of it I haven't seen in a really long time. Yeah, my family just moved, but I don't pack it. That's what the moving company does. I put it away but I don't take note of what I have.

"Um, Maria...what are you doing?"  
>"I have to go through my clothes. I weighed myself on my birthday and I was the same weight I was when I left Japan. I came back and weighed thirty pounds lighter. So that's a grand total of 45 pounds of weight loss this year. I can definitely feel it...my t-shirts don't fit as snug as they used to in the stomach. My jeans are also getting a little baggy. My mother pulled out some of my old jeans before I left, but...well, they were about four inches too short. It looks like I'll have to get some more of my paintings sold off as soon as possible if I don't have enough clothes to wear."<br>"Ever thought about getting an Ouran uniform?" I give her a look.  
>"You seriously expect me to wear that piece of trash? No, unless it's dress slacks and the blazer, I will not wear a uniform. Plus I still have to paint." She nods as we organize my clothes, and once that's done I start to try on clothes.<p>

I end up with two piles, one extremely large in comparison to the other. The large pile is stuff that I have to get rid of, probably to some charity or thrift store. Either way I have to go shopping, because the only things I could keep were some dress pants and nice tops, leggings, a couple pairs of skinny jeans I wore as a freshman, and a whole lot of tank tops and shorts. All of my favorite jeans and dresses, sadly, no longer fit and nearly fall off of me. Damn it, why did I have to lose so much weight this summer? Maybe it was all those trips to Cali that did it...I just couldn't seem to stay off the beach after I got my first taste of it.

And I found out, depressingly, that I have to go shoe shopping as well. The amount of money I have to spend is so large that I have a lot of work ahead of me to peddle off as many of those paintings as possible. Jeez, who knew moving could be so tedious?

So I finish organizing my room, bag up all of the clothes, and get Haruhi to move with me to the studio. She helps me set up my stuff in the room, and as I unwrap the antique upright Steinway that my family's had for years—and no one's played in generations—I smile. The damn thing is just so gorgeous that I can't help feeling my heart swell every time I look at it.

"Can you play?" She asks. I laugh.  
>"Yes, so long as you don't expect me to play as well Tamaki. I can play Christmas music. That's about it. I play for my family every Christmas. This poor thing has seen so many moves in it's lifetime...I wonder if...ah, here it is!" I pull up the tuning key and flip open the lid. I pull out the tuner just on the inside that I stick in there for good measure, and start to play a key.<p>

Damn, this poor baby. It's so out of tune. It was shipped overseas in an airplane...the poor thing.

"What is it that you can't do, Maria? You seem to be able to do everything." I shrug.  
>"I can do everything to a small extent. Being poor you learn to adapt to the fact that you can't hire someone to do everything for you. With necessity brings desperation. I learned to do this from my high school choir director, who owned a piano tuning business on the side. From then on my family wouldn't have to hire someone to tune our piano. Saves them hundreds of dollars, let me tell you. There we go! Not so ugly sounding anymore." I say, patting the piano. If it could smile, I think it would be right now.<p>

"So, like I said, what can't you do?"  
>"Depends on what you're talking about, Haruhi. I can do a little of everything. I'm not exceptionally good, but I can do a lot of little, odd things."<br>"Well, I know more what you can do than what you can't."  
>"I can't use chopsticks." I tell her. She laughs.<br>"You can tune a piano, but you can't use chopsticks? That's hysterical." I laugh with her.  
>"I know. It's sad, but true. I also can't walk while texting. If I try I fall over almost immediately. So if I go somewhere someone has to actually call me instead of text me." She just shakes her head as I hear a loud tinkling bell sound from my phone. I pick up the beautiful mechanism—a gift from my father for my birthday—and answer it.<p>

"Yes, Tori?"  
>"It's Tamaki! Oh my God, he just—" I hang up the phone and put it on silent. She was way too excited and I'm too agitated with her to listen.<br>"So, Haruhi...are you up for some shopping later this week? I need someone sane to go with me when I get clothes and stuff. Tori isn't sane enough to take alone." She laughs.  
>"Sure. That sounds fun." I beam at her, then pour some iced tea for us. We sit and drink for a bit—or at least, she does—as I organize the DVDs in the box in the living room.<p>

"Maria, I have a question. I don't want you to be offended or anything..."  
>"Is it about Kyoya?" I ask her, alphabetizing my DVDs.<br>"Yeah, it is." I shrug.  
>"Okay, what do you want to know?" I ask her, not tearing myself away from what I'm doing. I settled this a long time ago, shortly after my sister's crackdown on me. It doesn't really bother me anymore. I've already reached a decision and figured everything out for myself, even though I am still angry at him and myself.<br>"...Are you two still going to be friends? Or do you hate him?" I shake my head.  
>"I don't hate him, Haruhi. I was stupid, immature, dramatic and irrational. Once I see him I'll explain what happened. I'll apologize and set things right and everything will go back to normal. No harm done."<br>"Do you like him, then?" I blush a little at this. It's still weird to hear that, even for me...no matter how true it is, it feels so funny.  
>"Yes. Yes, I do." I say.<br>"Aw, that's cute. I think you two would make a good couple, honestly. You two fight like an old married couple." She says in her matter-of-fact sort of way. I blush and look away from her.

Is that true?

Wait, did she just base our attraction solely on our abilities to be stubborn and arrogant?

I think she just did.

"Haruhi, just because we act like an old married couple doesn't mean we're a good match. We just...disagree on a lot of things." I manage to say without stuttering too much. She shrugs.  
>"Still, once things are cleared up between you two, I don't think you guys will have a problem. You seem compatible enough."<p>

Okay, this is getting a little too far into territory that makes me feel weird. Best just to drop it for now. Don't want to be presumptuous. He could be seriously angry with me for slapping him and chastising him.

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><p>Many hours pass, and once Haruhi goes home I start to wonder absently where Tori is. It's nearly eight, and it's dark and I don't know what she's doing. Who knows when Tamaki will bring her home. I get curious and call her instead so I can find out what she's doing.<p>

"Tori?" I ask as she answers.  
>"Yeah? You calm now? Not going to hang up this time?" I smirk at this.<br>"Where are you?" She doesn't answer for a moment, then speaks up.  
>"...Hokkaido."<br>"What the fuck are you doing in Hokkaido? That's a long way from here!" I scream. Are you kidding me? Tamaki is so dead when I get my hands on him.  
>"Chillax, I'm just fine. We're in Hokkaido. Tamaki's staying in the room across the hall from me."<br>"You two better behave." I manage to grind through my teeth. She laughs.  
>"No, Maria, we'd never behave. We're going to have lots of hot, steamy sex. What do you think?" I face-palm. She's freshly sixteen years old and is going to talk like that? Even I wouldn't have said something like that.<p>

Scratch that. Yes I would have.

"Okay, well, use protection and I'll see you...when?"  
>"When I walk through the door. I'm sleepy, so I'm going to bed now."<br>"It's only eight!"  
>"Yeah, but I've been on trains all day. I'm so tired."<br>"Trains? Why trains? Can't Tamaki take you in a private car or something?"  
>"He wanted to take the trains. I don't know, don't ask me, now good night. I am tired." I laugh.<br>"Okay, okay, good night. And like I said, behave." She hangs up without another word. I laugh, shaking my head.

That child, I swear.

**~*One week later*~**

"Maria, what about this?"  
>"No, it's too skimpy."<br>"But you have the body for it!"  
>"I said no, Tori, and I mean it."<br>"I think it would look good on you, Maria."  
>"...Fine. I guess I'll try it on. Just to appease you guys..."<p>

I'm currently in the mall with Haruhi and Tori. I've been clothes shopping for the past four hours. I've found some here, some there, but so far the only things I've managed to successfully find are underwear and jeans. Everything else is eluding me.

I'm so glad I could find a Victoria's Secret here in Japan. It was definitely a life-saver. I was in desperate need of a whole new wardrobe, underneath and otherwise.

But why can't I find decent dresses or shirts? This is frustrating me!

"You know, Maria, we could call it a day today and head over to the other mall tomorrow. I'm sure that they'll have something better for you."  
>"...Well, it's still pretty early. Why don't we go and drop this stuff off at home and continue our shopping escapade? We'll break for lunch at the apartment then." Haruhi shrugs.<br>"Whatever works for you. I'm free all day." She says. I smile, and we make our way out of the store, all of us carrying bags. Most of it is my stuff, but there are some things for them as well.

I managed to sell a dozen paintings in the past week, which was nice to line my pockets with, though I have a feeling there won't be much left when I'm through. Paintings are profitable, but almost all of the ones I sold are ones that I didn't really care much about. I'm saving others for the winter season, since they're winter scenes and all. It'll be good to have money for Christmas presents.

**~*Hours later*~**

"Maria, do you think you've got enough?" Tori asks me as she collapses onto the couch. Bags line the living room. I shrug.  
>"I could always get more. But it doesn't really look like I need it." I say as I begin to unpack things. Clothes of all kinds, shoes and boots, jewelry, makeup...you name it, I bought it. And I am thoroughly spent on energy and money. There's not much left, but I got what I needed. Now I look forward to relaxing for the last week and some for school, drawing and painting, finishing homework and just overall relaxing.<p>

That'll be nice, that's for sure.

Tags are removed, boxes are thrown, bags recycled, laundry washed, and soon my room is finally—after many, many days—organized. I smile. I've been productive, no matter how boring it's been. It makes me miss going to the beach with my friends over the summer. We went so many times...that's why my tan is so dark. It has lightened some since I haven't really been outside too much here in Japan, but I'm pretty dark compared to before.

There's only one thing left to make sure I do, and that involves getting things with Kyoya solved. I sigh at this thought. How am I going to do this? It's not as simple as Tori's made it out to be. Things are going to be so awkward for so long...maybe.

I don't even know. I head to bed instead of thinking about it. I want to sleep and not think about it for now. It's been a long few days.

* * *

><p><strong>And so, that's the end of chapter 22! I hope you guys enjoyed it...I know it came pretty quickly but I figured that since I wrote 28 pages today I better publish a few. So in total I published about eight. Hope you liked it and I can't wait to hear from you!<strong>

**Much love and later days!**

**~B-chan**


	23. Taking That First Step Part 1

**Alright, my lovelies! I am super chipper right now...it is the same day I uploaded the last two chapters, but I took a five hour break and guess what? Five awesome reviews. I just couldn't pass up another opportunity, seeing that I've written so much today.**

**I am so THANKFUL to be able to thank my wonderful reviewers, all five of them! Thank you so much to Akemi Tatsuyoshi, Miss Random Person XD, EbonyPrincess22, Half-Angel-Writer, AhhMyLife. You all are amazing, wonderful, lovely, and I love each and every one of you! You make me so happy.**

**Thank you Miss Random Person XD, that was so nice of you to say. I'm glad that you like my story so much that you wait for it. I (secretly) love your updates and can't wait for what you have to say. That's my secret! :D 3**

**As for your question, Half-Angel-Writer...well, considering the pace that Maria and Kyoya are going, I think it will be quite some time before we get to the lemons. I've been toying around with the idea of having lemons earlier or later on, but right now I don't see them really taking that big of a step until much, much later. Hell, I wrote 32 pages worth of story material today (rough draft, mind you) and they shared their first kiss. Just now. So I have a feeling that it's going to be a while before they actually share that much of an intimate moment. I'm trying for my story to be as authentic as possible, seeing as I love authenticity and (this is my little secret) if I had my way, this is how my life would have went. I really am obsessed with the Ouran High School Manga and Anime...despite never finishing it...but I do have plans for lemons! Seeing as relationships with Maria are complicated, which you will understand why later, having them move forward that quickly would be very, very unusual. Maria is very self-conscious even though she doesn't come off that way, especially when it comes to herself and her body. So, after my long-winded explanation, I can only say it will be a while. This is chapter 23, and well...they're going to manage to admit to each other that they like each other in chapter 25. So...we'll just have to see. I fly by the seat of my pants, in all honesty, though I do proofread each chapter at least three times. I will say though that there is a lot of fluff and smut, just not sex. Kyoya's particularly...interesting when it comes to Maria, seeing as by the time they manage to get farther into their relationship he sees her for more than just what's on the outside much more than even myself sometimes (which, in all honesty, is really scary). At least, when it comes to the way he looks at her and what he feels. She changes him. So...yeah. That's that I guess. I hope I was clear. If you have further questions don't be afraid to ask, because I'm sure someone's wondering the same thing.  
><strong>

**Whew! So this is chapter 23...and this next part I wanted to publish as one chapter and, well...ended up being 21 pages long...-_-'**

**So I have to split the chapters into three parts and publish it that way. Sad but true. Here it is, chapter 23! I hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

><p>I wake to the sound of my phone ringing. I groan, answering it. What time is it, anyway? It's got to be way too early for this.<p>

"Herro?" I manage to slur out, yawning in the process.  
>"Oh, I'm sorry Maria...did I wake you?" It's Haruhi. I smile and turn over, laying down.<br>"Yeah, but that's alright. I don't need to sleep all day anyway. What's up?"  
>"Well, there's this expo at the mall that I want to go to...apparently, it's a foreign goods expo. I was wondering if you could come with me and help me find some great American stuff. I wanted a guide just so I wouldn't be lost. Do you mind?" I laugh.<br>"No, of course not. Meet me in an hour?"  
>"Sure, I'll be there." She says, and I nod with another yawn.<br>"Alright. I'll be ready, hopefully." And as she laughs, I hang up. I throw an arm over my face and groan. My phone goes off with a text and I read it.

_Hey sis, I no ur prolly still asleep, but I'm w/ Tamaki. B home l8r!_

_~Tori_

I groan again, sitting up and exiting the text. I stretch, yawn, go to the bathroom, then begin to dress myself appropriately. The mall, a foreign expo...

Well, it couldn't hurt to look cute, right? And I've been dying to wear this new dress I got too. So I pull it out, lay it out with some accessories and whatnot, then head back to the bathroom to do my makeup and hair.

Am I feeling girly today? Yes. Tori says I don't express my femininity enough, so today I am going to do just that. It's a hassle, a chore, but I've developed fast and simple ways of doing it so that it's not so bothersome.

When my hair is curled, my makeup donned, and my clothes secured, I pull out my shoes and accessorize. I'm surprisingly giddy at doing this. I haven't done this in quite a long time. Not even when I went shopping for clothes, because then I wore stuff that was easy to strip off. It'll be nice to go to the mall and look like I'm actually going to the mall instead of the neighborhood grocery store.

It's at this moment that I look at myself in my full length mirror in my room, and I have to do a double take. I can't believe that's me in the mirror. When did I get so tall? The heels don't help, but I've never seen my arms and legs look so toned and skinny. Must be all the swimming and running I did while at the beaches and at home. My dress is a short one, navy blue and satin, with a black belt under the bust. It's sleeveless, and since I don't have a farmer's tan on my upper body it actually looks really nice. It hugs all the right places and minimizes my bust. I love the way this dress looks on me...it's the only dress that I agree with Haruhi and Tori on. This is a little less minimalist style, which is where I like my clothes, and a little more daring. I wink to myself, happy that I look so cute. It's been years since I could comfortably wear something like this.

I hear a knock and run to the door. I slip a whole bunch of my things into my purse—phone, wallet, et cetera—and open the door.

"Wow, Maria, that much in an hour? I didn't think it was possible." I look at Haruhi, and I can't help noticing how cute she looks. She's actually being girly today, wearing a dress and everything. She's got some cute pins in her hair, and she looks so adorable.

Who knew she was such a cute, pretty girl? Dressed as a boy, half the time I can hardly tell she's a girl. Sometimes I have to slap myself and remind myself she's a girl and not a guy. It's a shame she can't be girly more often. I think it would suit her very much.

"Let's go, Haruhi! I will be your guide today, and rest assured I won't let you down!" I say happily. She laughs, and we head out on our little adventure of the day.

* * *

><p>"Hmm...what about this?"<br>"That's okay but...this is better."  
>"I think this is really cool...but what is it?"<br>"It's dumb. This is a whole lot better."  
>"...You're right! Thanks, Maria."<p>

I can't believe how awesome this expo is. It's taking all of my energy and control not to buy stuff. Haruhi is being very tight with her money as well, and we're keeping each other in check.

"Maria, why did you come here?" I smile.  
>"Well, when I went down to the grocery store yesterday, I saw an ad for three kittens at a pet store in the mall. I didn't think much of it, but when I saw the name of this place I remembered that this was where they were at! I'm so glad I grabbed that number...I called ahead and I'm going to see the kittens! Oh, they're going to be ever so adorable, Haruhi! I love kittens!" I say, trying my hardest not to squeal. The cuteness of little kitties makes my heart flutter and my face flush with happiness.<br>"Wow, Maria...I didn't know you liked cats so much."  
>"I have six of the at home, all of which my family has raised by hand. We rescued them all! Isn't that great?" I ask her, and I see the sweatdrop on her forehead.<br>"Six? Isn't that enough?"  
>"Well, you see, Haruhi...the thing is, with the cats being in the states, trying to get them over here would be just so traumatizing and horrible that I couldn't imagine ever trying to put mine or Tori's cat through that. So I thought it would be so cute to have kittens instead. That way it's like we have our own cute, cuddly, adorable little family to make us feel right at home! And it just feels so weird and empty without cats around...I just have to have one! If I can only have one, that's all I'll take, but I want them all! I love cats...Tori will be so happy when I surprise her." I say, going off on a tangent.<p>

I know I sound ridiculous, but I really do enjoy cats that much. I always said that if I never got married I would be that old lady with 27 and a half cats, or something like that. I just...love them to death. So that was my motivation for coming today besides being a tour guide.

It doesn't take long before we decide enough is enough and that we should probably just do some looking around.

"You hungry, Haruhi?" I ask her, checking my silver watch. It's almost noon, I realize. She thinks for a moment.  
>"Yeah, a little. Want to head over to the food court?" I nod.<br>"Yeah, I'm starving. I haven't eaten yet today." I tell her. We walk a ways, and I go off into lala-land.

Tomorrow, we start school again. I have to see Kyoya again...I have to be around everyone again. No one really knows what happened except me, Tori, Kyoya and Haruhi. Tamaki probably knows now, too, depending on if Kyoya or Tori told him or not. No doubt the entire host club will find out, one way or another. Whatever the case, I'm still going to make things right. It's only fair.

"Is that...Kyoya-sempai?" She asks me, but I shake my head. I don't even look.  
>"There's no way he'd be in a place like this. No offense to him or us, it just doesn't seem like his kind of place."<br>"No, look...is that him?" She points a little farther ahead at the map, or rather, the person sitting beneath it.

Well, I'll be damned. Guess I'm going to be doing a lot of what I've already said a lot sooner than I thought.

"Haruhi...?" He says as we approach. He's standing there, dazed and confused. My heart's racing. Did he get more attractive? Or is his state of confusion and dishevelment just so adorable right now?

I notice that his hair is more or less out of order from what it usually is. It looks good...a little shaggier and looser than normal. Not so prim and proper. I like the look. He's attractive, but dressed down to clothes that are suited for a day out, he's even more good-looking than normal. He's in a button down shirt with long sleeves and many pockets, jeans, sandals, and a gold chain around his neck that really looks so...suave and cool. I never thought Kyoya could ever pull off anything but the cool and nerdy look. But no, he can be sexy and suave, which I find to be pretty awesome.

Yes, I am checking him out. Deal.

And that's when I realize he's staring at me. I glance away, not sure what to do. Then, he speaks.

"How much money do the both of you have on you?" He asks.

What? Why is he asking that?

"Um, Kyoya-sempai...why do you ask?" He gives her an uninterested look.  
>"I seem to be without my wallet and cell phone. Seeing as I have no idea why I'm here nor have any way of contacting home, I must rely on those around me. I don't know where you ladies were going, but you seemed headed in the direction of the food court. Mind if I join you?" Haruhi turns to me, and I shrug.<br>"Sure. I don't see why not. You hungry?" I ask, and he locks eyes with me. I manage to keep my poker face even if my heart is pounding.

The sound of his stomach grumbling is answer enough. So, we head to the food court without another word.

* * *

><p>Before I know it, we're standing in line for some burgers. Haruhi turns to Kyoya awkwardly.<p>

"Kyoya-sempai, are you sure this is where you want to eat? There are much nicer restaurants to choose from upstairs." She says, and I can't help shaking my head. As far as I know he doesn't care about quality...he just wants food now. The complaining of his stomach was indication enough. And thanks to that, my stomach has started to echo his. Whatever the case, it doesn't matter to me where we eat, as long as we get food...and a whole lot of it, at that.  
>"Well, seeing as you don't have much on you, our choices are limited. Just be sure to get a receipt...both of you. Tamaki will reimburse the both of you tenfold." His anger comes across very strong. It scares Haruhi and sends a shiver up my spine, and not a good one at that.<p>

It makes sense now why he's without his wallet and cell phone, two things he's normally never caught dead without. Tamaki and the other members of the host club—my sister, too—probably ended up getting him out today. But really, did they dress him, or did he get himself up? Because I don't see how he could have dressed himself and gotten out of his house without the cell phone or wallet.

As much as I'm curious, I'm certainly not going to ask. He's very moody and grumpy, it's not like our current standing puts us on...friendly terms. Though he's being quite courteous, I'm sure that's just an automatic thing.

"Haruhi, I think it's our turn. How do I order?" I almost burst into laughter. The damn rich kid's never been to a fast food place, obviously. It's funny that he's never ordered this way before. Where have you lived, under a rock?

Yeah, a rock made of gold and embedded with diamonds, rubies, and peridots. Damn rich boy.

I almost want to say 'welcome to the life of a commoner', but I don't think that in his current mood that the statement would have the desired effect. In fact, I'm sure he'd murder me on the spot with just one look.

Haruhi orders for them, and then I order. He gets angry with the cashier, which I can't blame him. She's so annoying...hitting on him like that. Makes me want to wring her neck.

Yes, I get possessive. Sorry, that's just the way I am. I turn into a raging beast when it comes to other women flirting with a guy I like. I feel just...angry. So forgive any possessive, over the top comments I make. It's just my inner female getting catty and selfish.

* * *

><p>When we get our food, we sit down and start to eat. I'm so glad I have food. I am starving.<p>

I nearly laugh when I hear Haruhi start to chastise Kyoya for his behavior. She's got a whole lot more guts than I do, that's for sure.

"Kyoya-sempai, just because you're in a bad mood, that doesn't give you the right to go around talking to people like that. The poor girl was just doing her job." Haruhi says. Kyoya grabs a burger and begins to eat, though I've beaten the both of them to it. I pick up a couple of fries as they continue to talk, staring off into space and listening to them at the same time.  
>"Her job is to serve us food, not irritate me with some weak sales pitch." He says, which makes me almost want to laugh.<p>

It's like he read my mind. Go figure that a couple of grumpy people would have the same idea.

"I don't think I've ever seen you eat before, Kyoya-sempai. I always thought the experience would be a little more refined." I answer her without thinking.  
>"You've seen him eat before Haruhi...at my place. Trust me when I say seeing him eat isn't really anything abnormal." I comment, uninterested. I glance from the side at the both of them and see Kyoya's eyes on me. His gaze isn't angry, which is a plus considering his current mood.<p>

I'm not sure what that look is, but it sends a chill up my spine.

"I just didn't think this type of food would appeal to you." She continues to say as I munch on the fries. They're mediocre in comparison to the ones you'd get in America, but they'll do for now.

What I wouldn't give for some decent pizza.

"It doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. No doubt you'll say I'm callous for admitting it, seeing as you bought this tripe." I sweat-drop. Could you really be any more of a jerk? She did just buy you food. You could at least keep your mouth shut and be grateful, you stupid, rich, pompous asshole.  
>"Of course I won't!" She says, but I know she's thinking it. I know I am. And I didn't even buy him food.<br>"There's an understanding between makers of food like this and those that eat it. Quality takes a backseat to convenience. Refinement isn't part of the equation. It's meant to be eaten quickly. Besides, no one of consequence is here to witness my momentary lapse of manners." He says.

What an ass. I always thought he had this side to him. Being a host must really get his blood going, though, otherwise I don't see how a guy like this could ever stand it. Still, being a jerk isn't beneficial. I may like him, but damn, he sure does have a jerk-like quality that kind of makes me want to hit him right now. Why be an ass for no reason? I mean, really? You're with two pretty girls. What more could you ask for?

Stupid ass. I think that's my new nickname for him.

"Hey." He says, to get our attention. I turn my head to stare at him as he messes with a fry.  
>"For the record, I'm saying it benefits me nothing to keep up appearances in a place like this. And that includes any special treatment I may give you here." He says, which kind of twinges a little.<br>"Oh really? I never would have guessed." Haruhi and I say in unison. I give her a look and we both giggle a little. I can't help it. Our sarcasm was perfectly in line.

That was funny. I like that. Almost as funny when Tori and I manage to do that.

I notice a group of three girls next to me, ogling Kyoya with big, girly eyes. I feel my mood sour immediately as I glare at them intensely. They seem frightened and back off from me, but still advance on Kyoya.

"Excuse me, I'm so sorry to interrupt. I was wondering, if you're not using this chair, can my friends and I use it?" I continue to glare at them with as much intensity as I can muster, subtlety being a key ingredient in this mixture of anger and other miscellaneous murderous things I am feeling towards these girls.  
>"Sure, whatever. Take it." He says apathetically. I glare at them as they thank him and take the chair, going far away from us.<p>

Good, I scared them off.

"Maria, do you know those girls?" I look at Haruhi.  
>"No. Why do you ask?" I ask her. By this time Kyoya's eyes are on me, stoic.<br>"Well, you looked like you were really angry with them. It was almost like...if looks could kill, they would be dead. You know?" I laugh uncomfortably at this.

So she noticed that, did she?

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." I laugh it off, embarrassed. I avoid Kyoya's gaze as I feel my face get hot. I hate being found out. It always produces the worst feelings in the world.

Haruhi and Kyoya go off on their own little tangent about the relationship between Tamaki and Kyoya, which I listen to with mild interest. Seems that Kyoya is a bit of an egoist, and always does what's beneficial to him. The entire host club is there, being in the club, for the sole reason of benefiting themselves. I feel a little bit like there is Narcissism thrown in there as well. However, I don't agree with him when he says they're using each other for benefit. They're connected in a much deeper way, that much I know. I just don't see Tamaki as the type to just take for benefit. He genuinely enjoys what he does. So some of the others must as well.

One of the few times where I honestly think Kyoya is fooling himself into thinking this way.

* * *

><p>"Sempai, I thought you were going to take a taxi home?" Haruhi says as we walk through some more of the booths and shops in the expo. I'm trailing behind, my head in the clouds.<br>"I am, but I might as well have a look around first." We start looking at some expensive things. I notice some black pearls...they look so pretty. I notice some other nice things around and get a little distracted letting my eyes wander over them. I can't help that when I look at something, I see it as more than just a thing. I see contours, shades, colors, light positions...shape, texture, lines, all of it comes to mind. It's like when I see an object, I recreate it in my head using my own artistic mind, imagining with great clarity what it would feel like to draw or paint what I'm seeing and then actually doing it. It's such an out of body experience sometimes that I have to be careful, lest I stand somewhere for hours examining it. People tend to get worried if you stand in one place too long.  
>"Dear me...pieces from the Komatsu Shoin collection?" I hear that name and perk up. Komatsu Shoin? Here? Really?<p>

There's no way. He's such a prestigious artist...there's no way he'd be at a place like this. I don't buy his stuff because it really is just too expensive and certainly not my taste. Beautiful, but not something I'd put on display in my house. That's for sure.

"I never thought that I would find them here."  
>"My my, madame, you have a good eye! Indeed, these are pieces from the Komatsu family!" I squint to get a good look at them, then step closer.<br>"Maria, do you know something about the Komatsu artwork?" I hear Kyoya ask me. I stroke my chin a little in thought.  
>"I do. I know quite a bit...I wrote a newspaper article on him. I've studied him a lot in my pottery classes. Why?" He doesn't say a word, only gently grabs my hand and pulls me along.<br>"Kyoya, what are you—" We stop in front of the stall, where a man looks at us.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, ma'am, but these are fake." The man gives Kyoya a death glare.  
>"What do you know, boy? Get lost and stop bothering my business, or I'll call security!" He threatens. Kyoya puts up the hand that is not holding mine in defense.<br>"My dear sir, I don't mean to be rude. I was simply stating the obvious. If you'd like, I could have this dear young lady friend of mine show you what I mean. Surely you've heard of her?"

Is he talking about me? He's got to be kidding.

"I...I can't say that I have. She's rather young and doesn't look all that familiar."  
>"Such a shame. Her artwork is exquisite. Regardless of that...my dear, why not pick a piece and tell me what you see?" I look at Kyoya. Is he being so formal for a reason? He's addressing me so...weirdly. But nevertheless, I pick up the piece in front of me, making him let go of my hand.<p>

The differences are obvious.

"Oh, well, that's obvious. It's clear that these are fake. If there's one thing I know, it's that Komatsu's colors are never this dark here. The base is...well, it's just not right. The lacquer is too clear, and...let's see here..." I flip it over and nod.  
>"Just as I thought. The Komatsu signature is never, ever this broad. It's so thin and elegant. This is definitely fake." I say, setting down the piece and looking up at the sales man.<br>"I'll have you arrested for disrupting my business, you wench!"  
>"Perhaps if you were to present a certificate of authenticity, my dear friend would surely believe you." The man is taken aback.<br>"I...I left it at home." I see Kyoya smirk.  
>"Well, I happen to be well acquainted with the Komatsu family. It wouldn't take too long for me to give them a call to verify. You don't mind, do you?" The look on the man's face tells me that we've caught him, though I knew that already. If there's one thing I'm never wrong about, it's art.<p>

And so, this fake gets hauled away from the booth. The woman comes up to us with a smile, clearly grateful that she wasn't swindled by some crooked fake out for some quick cash.

"Oh my, to see one of the young Otori boys here is quite an amazing thing. You were quite kind to help me. And who is this beautiful young woman? Your girlfriend, I assume?" I feel my face heat up at this comment. How could she think that?

That is certainly not the case, but he does nothing to refute it. She goes on to thank him—and me—profusely, before bidding us goodbye and walking away.

It's strange...if Kyoya doesn't benefit in any way from things like this, why does he stick around with me? And why does he help a woman he clearly didn't know? Try as he might to convince Haruhi and I about the ring, I know for a fact that I couldn't see the ring, and I was closer than he was. So there was no way he could have known who she was by that large rock on her finger.

It makes me wonder, still, if he really does have a nicer, sweeter side. I have yet to see it—or at least, that's what I think—so I guess it's possible. He's certainly capable of being a completely ass and a grouch.

Suddenly the intercom in the mall comes on. I don't pay much attention to it until it mentions something rather interesting.

"Attention shoppers, this is an announcement for a lost child. Attention shoppers, this is an announcement for a lost child. A little boy named Kyoya Otori is lost inside the store. I repeat, Kyoya Otori is lost. His guardian, Suoh, is waiting for him at the second floor information counter. Kyoya Otori is about six feet tall with black hair and is wearing prescription glasses."  
>"Is that him?" I hear someone ask.<br>"Isn't he a little big to be lost?"

And suddenly, I can't hold it in anymore. I'm suddenly bent over, laughing my ass off.

"Ahahahahaha! Oh my God, that's so freakin' funny! A little boy...named...ahahahaha!" I can't even form sentences. This is hysterical. I don't care if he tries to murder me, I can't believe that Tamaki would ever do something so hysterically embarrassing to Kyoya. Nevertheless, I find it quite hilarious and can't seem to stop laughing.  
>"That damn idiot...I'll kill him!" I see Kyoya's anger reach a boiling point, but thank the heavens it's not at me. Still, it only helps to spur on my laughter, seeing as it's so out of character for him.<p>

And I continue to laugh, all the way up to the second floor information desk. There, we run into the entire host club—and my sister.

"Maria! I didn't you were here! You came with Haruhi and...Kyoya?"  
>"Yes, we happened to find the...the little lost boy...ahahahaha!" Kyoya glares at me, but I just continue to laugh. He doesn't scare me. Tori giggles.<br>"Isn't that so funny? I told him to do that. Just to make him get here faster. That way we knew he would be alright." I shrugged.  
>"Eh, he's fine. A little miffed, maybe some of his ego's bruised, but other than that he's fine." I say to her. I then turn to Haruhi.<p>

"Haruhi, are you going home after this?" She nods.  
>"Yeah, I'm beat. Today really wore a lot out of me." She says. I nod.<br>"Yeah, I know the feeling. I'm going to head to the pet shop once I'm done here. After that, who knows." I say loudly. Then, I have arms around me.  
>"Oh, Mari-chan, we missed you!" I hear, and then I feel kisses planted on my cheeks. I can't help blushing at this.<br>"Aw, you guys missed me?" The twins wrap their arms around me and beam.  
>"Of course we missed—"<br>"—our most beautiful princess in all of Japan." I laugh off their embarrassing comments, then chat a little with Honey-sempai. I then turn to my sister.

"Any idea when you'll be home?" I ask her. She shrugs.  
>"I have a key. I'll be home when I walk through the door." I nod.<br>"Well, so far as I know I'm heading home. So I'll have my phone, just text or call me or whatever. Something may come up and I may not be at home. Who knows." I say, and she nods. I depart from the craziness, heading out to visit the pet store.

I can't wait to see those kittens. They've got to be so damned adorable.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, so this is part one of three. The next chapter is interesting, but the third part is the one that's really the most interesting part. We get to see some lovey-doveyness from our two favorite characters, teehee!<strong>

**I'm so excited, sorry. It's just overpoweringly cute.**

**So, I'm so happy to introduce to you this third chapter of the day. You guys are keeping me busy! But I like that. It gives me something to look forward to every time I wake up in the morning on vacation.**

**Thank you all so much! I love you and happy days to you all!**

**~B-chan**


	24. Taking That First Step Part 2

**Alright, my darlings, here is the next chapter!**

**First, I have to thank my wonderful reviewers...all five of them! Thanks SO much to AhhMyLife, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, Ebony Princess22, Miss Random Person XD, and LunarMagick for reviewing. You all are amazing, and I love you all so much.**

**In response to you, EbonyPrincess22, I also prefer lemons to have reason. There are, unfortunately, too many of them on here (not only in the Ouran category, but others as well) where the original characters are introduced, they kind of like the leading man, and then they're in bed with them. To me, that's very unrealistic. Considering the fact that relationships in real life are much slower and more deliberate, that makes absolutely no sense. I do enjoy my PWPs from time to time, but they have to be really well written. Needless to say I don't really read much on Fanfiction anymore, I have to write. I just can't stomach most stories like that :/**

**So, without any further ado, here is chapter 24! I hope you guys like it, as it's super duper adorable, teehee! But I will warn you that this chapter and the next are where some characterization issues might arise when it comes to Kyoya...but I hope they're not too bad. It's minor, but I just thought you should be aware. Carry on!**

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><p>I make my way to the escalators and climb to the third floor. As I make my way to the next escalator, I see from the corner of my eye a group of guys watching me.<p>

Oh great, some bozos looking to get lucky. Yeah right. This woman is taken...even if it is one-sided.

I climb the fourth escalator, and just as I'm about to go to the roof they stop me.

"Hey there, beautiful. What's a gorgeous woman like you doing walking around this place alone?" I stare at them, uninterested.  
>"I'm actually quite busy and in a bit of a hurry. Do you mind?" I start to push past them, but they don't let me through.<br>"C'mon, toots, don't be that way. After all, you've got to be so lonely if you're walking around by yourself. Don't you want some company?"  
>"No, that's alright. I'm in a hurry, so if you'll excuse me." But again, they don't let me through.<br>"Hey, baby, come on. Don't play so hard to get. We're some good-looking guys, looking for a good time. Why don't we show you a good time? Make it worth your while?"

Okay, you guys are definitely not good-looking. I know six particular hosts who put you to shame and a seventh one that makes you all look like ugly puppies.

Of course, I don't say this out loud.

"I'm not interested, but thanks anyway." I say. But they still don't let me go.  
>"Look, guys, don't you understand that I—"<br>"Maria, there you are. I was waiting for you." I turn and Kyoya standing there behind me. What the hell is he doing here?

Isn't he supposed to be going home or something, instead of following me?

"Kyoya?" And his arms surround me and pull me close.

Woah. Woah, woah, woah! What in the world is he doing? This is _way_ too close for comfort!

"I told you to come to me right away. I was waiting for you." I can only look dumbly shocked, until I realize that this is a game to get these bozos away from me. It must be...he wouldn't be leaning this close to me or looking at me that way for real, I know that.  
>"I'm sorry, I was almost there when these guys came. I guess they didn't get it when I said I had to go." Kyoya, not removing his arms from around me, looks at them as I say this.<br>"Surely you wouldn't be interrupting a rather important day for the both of us? It is our anniversary, after all. I would appreciate it if you would leave." He says, lying up a storm.

God, this is stupid. Something Kyoya would never do in real life. Yet here he is, doing this to get some ugly guys off my tail. I can't help but feel a little glad and grateful, even if this is awkward. As much as I like being this close, it is really awkward.

"Dude, we're sorry! We didn't know she was taken, I swear! If she'd said something we would have left a long time ago!" And with that, they scuttle away, and I'm left dumbfounded.

What just happened? And why the hell is he still holding me? Isn't he angry with me?

I pull away and cross my arms.

"You know, there are other ways you could have gotten them to go away."  
>"I suppose. But that seemed to work the fastest."<br>"Any particular reason you decided to follow me? As I recall you were going to take a taxi home. You are without your wallet and cell phone and yet you would still follow me? That's rather...odd." I say. He doesn't say anything, but instead looks at me with disinterested eyes.  
>"Well, I wasn't going to stick around with those idiots, certainly." I sigh.<br>"I suppose that means I'm responsible for you now? Great. That's wonderful." I say with as much sarcasm as I can. He says nothing in return.  
>"I suppose you'll want a ride home...here. Use my phone to call your driver." I tell him. It's my iPhone, which I have an international plan on. It's got a wonderful red, green, and purple bedazzled case on it, which look so funny in his hands. But I stand there with my arms crossed and wait as he calls a driver.<p>

When he hands me back my phone, I look at my watch.

"How long?"  
>"About an hour, give or take." He says. I nod.<br>"Well, I suppose you might as well stick with me then. If you want to, that is. I won't force you to. I'm on my way to the pet store." I say, walking toward the escalators. I step onto the up one, and at my side is Kyoya.

So he is going to follow me? How odd.

I make my way to the pet store, and he's trailing behind me. I walk into the store and over to the counter.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" I smile at her.  
>"I called early today to look at the kittens you have?"<br>"Ah, Miss Maria, right this way. We've prepped them for you already." I smile, then turn to Kyoya.  
>"You can either stay here or come into the back with me." I tell him, then turn to go into the back with the lady at the counter.<br>"Here they are. Aren't they the cutest? They were sleeping, but I think they heard you and woke up." I laugh at this. I highly doubt that. She opens the cage so I can get a better look at them.

It's instant love. I know for a fact, now that I've seen them, that I am not walking out of this store without them. All three of them.

* * *

><p>Kyoya stands in the doorway to the back of the pet store, where he watches Maria as she holds all three of the kittens. They are adorable, beyond a doubt. Her happiness and cooing are evidence of that.<p>

She holds the first one, which is an all gray one. It's so small, so tiny...it couldn't be more than a handful. It had the biggest ears on any little kitten and the brightest blue eyes. It kept mewing in Maria's hands, rubbing up against her and batting at her, trying to get her to pay even more than her full attention to it.

"How old are they?" She asks the pet store lady, who is only too happy to answer.  
>"Well, one of our pregnant females that we rescued had them about four weeks ago. It was so unfortunate that she rejected the poor things...we were afraid that we were going to have to put them down. Hopefully that won't be the case after today."<br>"What are their genders?" Maria asks as she picks up the pretty little marmalade.  
>"All girls, miss." Maria smiles and then giggles as the marmalade sits on her shoulder, huddling beneath her chin. Maria scratches her and loves on her before putting the mewling baby back in the cage and picks up the final one. It's all black, deep midnight black, with bright blue eyes. All of the kittens had crystal blue eyes. Kyoya watched with mild interest as the object of his affection fussed over these three little kittens, which was no doubt very, very cute.<p>

"Have they had their shots and been wormed?" The lady nods.  
>"Yes, and in a few more months they'll be old enough for spaying and declawing, if you wish to do that. They're very loveable, as you can tell, but they are going to take a lot of work. A lot of time and attention...they haven't been weened off of milk yet. We have a special formula here in the store for you if you are interested." Maria nods as the little black climbs on her shoulder, facing the doorway, and Maria turns.<p>

"Oh, what is it little one? What is it?" She asks as the kitten mews and reaches out toward the door.  
>"Oh, do you want to go see Kyoya? I'm not sure if he wants to see you, little one." She says, walking to the door with the little parrot-cat on her shoulder. She lifts the little kitten from her shoulder and holds her gently out to Kyoya. He looks at the cat, who reaches out for him, then gently leaps to his shoulder. He catches the kitten, and doesn't have much time to react as the little thing makes it's way up his shirt and tucks itself underneath his chin. It purrs and mews at him, rubbing on him and loving on him.<p>

"I think she likes you, Kyoya. Seems you have an admirer." Maria says, locking eyes with Kyoya. The kitten mews and then starts to lick his face, which makes Maria giggle. Kyoya, unsure of how to react to the cat, strokes it gently.  
>"It seems she knows who her daddy is." The lady says, which makes Maria blush. She doesn't correct the lady, however. Kyoya hands her the kitten and Maria puts the squirming, mewing kitten back in the cage.<p>

"Are you interested, miss?"  
>"Yes, actually, but I won't be able to pick up the darlings until tomorrow. Can I give you half of the money to reserve them for today?"<br>"Yes, of course miss. Right this way and we'll take care of it right away. You want all three?"  
>"Yes, they're too good to pass up. I think my sister will be so happy when she sees them." Maria beams, pays for the kittens, and then leaves with Kyoya. She's glowing with happiness, which makes the boy smirk. It was obvious to see that Maria had a strong maternal side, which he found quite attractive about her.<p>

"Where did your driver say he was going to meet you?" Maria asks, breaking Kyoya from his gaze.

"The west entrance. It's the most convenient entrance for my way home."

"Alright, I guess I'll walk you there and wait with you, then." She says, though he wonders why she would do so. It was unlike her to be so courteous.

Not that he would complain, though. He had other plans for the day, once he got home to get his wallet and cell phone. It was better she stuck with him anyway. He had plans for the both of them. Regardless of whether he'd been forced out today or not, he would have still gone by to pick her up and take her out for the day. He had a lot of things to say, and he was certain she also had a lot to say.

When they got to the entrance, they stood there in silence for quite a time. She didn't seem to be in any particular mood, only seemed to be gazing off into space. Kyoya noticed this, and noticed something was different about her. She wasn't acting nearly as irrational as she had been before the summer had started. She was...how could he put it...more mature, more collected. What had changed over the summer?

He had no doubt it had something to do with her trip home. No doubt her family had something to do with her current mood. Whatever it was, he much preferred it to her typical angry and agitated mood she used to have. However, he wasn't in the mood to test her anger, seeing as she'd left earlier that summer clearly upset and angry. If her yelling, screaming and crying had been any indication of that.

"It looks like your ride is here." She says, snapping him out of his thoughts. She turns to him and smiles.  
>"I guess...I'll see you tomorrow?" He shakes his head.<br>"I was actually going to ask you if you would accompany me today. There's something I want to show you." He says, and she cocks an eyebrow at him.  
>"Oh...kay. Sure. I was going to go home anyway." She follows him, and they get in the car and head on their way back to his house.<p>

* * *

><p>I'm sitting in Kyoya's car, right next to him. Am I nervous?<p>

I would have to be stupid not to be. He's asked me to come with him today. Where could he possibly take me? And what does he have to show me?

To say that I'm freaking out would be an understatement. But I remain poker-faced, even though my heart is pounding like crazy. I'm curious, anxious...I don't even know what to say or do. I feel like I should say something, anything, but nothing seems to be coming to me. So I sit here and contemplate my situation instead and wait for us to get to his house.

I've never seen his house before. This should be interesting.

When the car stops, I face-palm. Of course his house would be huge, but seriously? This is ridiculous. It's almost as big as the Hitachiin house, but it's located in much prettier country. I follow him inside—gawking—and when we get inside I run into his back because I wasn't paying attention.

"Please stay here in the foyer. Don't move from here...I will be right back." He says, and I nod, standing there as he exits the foyer. I sigh. Depending on how big his house is, I could end up standing here for the next ten minutes or more. I lean against the doorway out of the foyer, the doorway Kyoya left through. Where he went, who knows, but now I have to sit here and wait for his ass.

"...Maria? Is that you?" I hear a familiar voice and turn to see Fuyumi standing there. She smiles at me and spreads her arms wide.  
>"It is you! Oh, how are you?" I smile at her as she embraces me.<br>"I'm doing alright. You?" I ask her, and she smiles.  
>"I'm doing just great! When did you get so tall? I swear, you're as tall as Kyoya!" I laugh.<br>"Yeah, I think it's the shoes honestly." She looks at my feet as I show her, and she laughs.  
>"It is. Still, you're tall as it is. How long have you been back in Japan? Kyoya told me you went back to America for the summer." I'm surprised by this. How much did he tell her?<br>"I've been back for a couple of weeks now. I was helping my family move and stuff. I had some things to bring back with me. My sister is living with me now, and we're both going to Ouran." She beams.  
>"That's great! I'm so happy for you. At least you're not living alone anymore. I was always so worried about you living alone...about someone hurting you. But it's better now, which is good."<p>

How did she know I was living alone? Kyoya must have told her. I guess they're closer than I thought. I didn't know he talked about me outside of school. That's news to me.

"Oh, and I hung your painting in my living room. It looks great. Every morning I wake up and go out for tea, and the painting's on the wall. I can't thank you enough for it. I may have to ask you for another one." I laugh.  
>"Anytime you want one Fuyumi, just ask. I don't have a problem doing that for you." She smiles.<br>"So why are you here? Going out with Kyoya?" I nod, and she smiles.  
>"That's good. He's been working so hard lately...he needs a break. I swear, for this entire summer he hasn't been in a great mood at all. I tried to ask him what was bothering him, but he wouldn't tell me no matter how much I bugged him. Hopefully he comes out of it soon."<p>

He hasn't been in a great mood all summer? Well...I guess I probably have something to do with that. But it's not like I'd actually tell her that. Though that means if it was my fault, then what I said and did really got to him. As guilty as that makes me feel, it also makes me a little glad at the same time.

"Fuyumi, what are you doing?" I hear Kyoya's voice and turn to see him standing there. She smiles.  
>"Oh, I was just saying hi to Maria. No need to get so bent out of shape, Kyoya. I'll leave you two, then. Have fun! And be nice, Kyoya." I giggle at this as he sighs. She leaves us, and he turns to me.<br>"I apologize for that. That was my sister." I nod.  
>"I know. I've met her before." He cocks an eyebrow at me.<p>

Oops. I don't think he knew that little bit.

"When?" I shrug.  
>"It was at open house for the arts. She came up to me and talked to me. I even painted something for her." He sighs.<br>"She always was too curious for her own good..." I shake my head.  
>"No, she's really nice. She's a great sister, and I can see she loves to dote on you." He shakes his head and moves past me to leave. I smile behind his back. As much as he wants to play off his embarrassment, I certainly won't let him.<p>

* * *

><p>"So where are we going?" He doesn't answer me. What the hell? I'm stuck in a car with you, and you won't even answer a question! Damn you!<p>

I think I'm on edge because of the frickin' cologne he's wearing. It's driving me crazy! Why did he feel the need to wear cologne? I was much better before he put it on. Now I have to sit here and tell myself that leaning over and burying my face in his chest is not okay. I have to resist temptation. I have never been very good at it, so this is certainly testing me.

But he smells oh so nice...I wish I could lean closer. It would be so much better if I could. I wouldn't be fidgeting and making sure not to breathe in his general direction. I don't want a waft of that cologne as much as I can possibly avoid it. Why didn't I notice it before? Has he always worn this stuff?

Whatever the case, it's driving me crazy. Did I already say that?

We ride in silence for a while, and I can't help feeling awkward. This is clearly going nowhere between us.

"How was your trip to America?" Finally, someone breaks the ice. Thank God.  
>"It was great! I helped my family move to Arizona, then took at least half a dozen trips to the beaches in Cali with my sister and my friends. That's about as much as I did, but it kept me busy." I say without looking at him.<br>"Your family moved?"  
>"Yeah, my dad got another job in Arizona that pays a whole lot more. So he took that one and moved my family to Arizona with him." I say, feeling a little angry still about the whole thing. As much as I hated it, though, I couldn't blame them for moving. Living in Vegas was hard when you were barely making ends meet.<br>"I see." He says.

"How was your summer?" I ask.  
>"Less than desirable, thanks to Tamaki. He had the entire host club follow Haruhi to her summer job. It wasn't exactly a pleasant getaway, though things certainly could have been worse. That, and working all summer myself, I've hardly had time for a break. I didn't relax as much as I would have liked." I nod. It makes sense. I was lucky enough to be able to do what I did. It's too bad his summer wasn't better.<br>"Yeah, but we don't have too long before we're third years. It's a little sad when I think about the fact that, if I were in the states, I would be a senior. It's a littler nerve-wracking to know I'll be going to high school even longer than I thought. I'm going to be so old..."  
>"You're only 16." He says. I laugh, shaking my head. He's definitely miscalculated that one.<br>"Nope, I just turned 18 on the first of August." I say. He gives me a look, no doubt surprised that I'm so much older than the rest of them. That's what happens when you start Kindergarten a year later than everyone else. Instead of turning 17, I turn 18. It's a plus that I'm an adult now, but nothing has really changed since I'm still in high school. I'll be 19 when I graduate from Ouran. It's rather depressing, but it's the truth nonetheless. I get curious as to when his birthday is and decide to ask.

"When is your birthday, Kyoya?" I ask. He pushes up his glasses.  
>"November 22nd." He says. I'm a lot older than him than I thought. He's turning 17 in November, then...so I'm a year and a few months older than he is.<br>"Well, that's interesting. Seems I'm even older than you are. A lot older." He nods, and then it's quiet again. Talk about awkward...

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><p><strong>Haha, poor Maria. I feel so sorry for her. Men's cologne, if it's good, makes me go crazy too. So of course I had to torture her.<strong>

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to the next one almost as much as you guys certainly are!**

**Much love and later days!**

**~B-chan**


	25. Author's Note to the Review Issue

**My Dear Readers,**

**As I'm sure you all are aware (or maybe not...I don't know) Fanfiction is having some problems with it's review system due to the upgrade this afternoon. As such, I have received your reviews for chapter 24, and some of you have reviewed two or more times and it hasn't appeared. It is accounted for in the review count but does not physically appear on the site. I'm going to wait 24 hours to publish another chapter to see if this problem is fixed.**

**I sent an email explaining the problem to Fanfiction so hopefully they will fix it soon. This note affects those below and the number of reviews I received from you are to the right of it in italics:**

**Random Person XD – _2_**

**Akemi Tatsuyoshi – _4_**

**LunarMagick – _1_**

**AhhMyLife – _1_**

**EbonyPrincess22 – _1_**

**So, my lovelies, I hope I explained the problem and hopefully it is fixed really soon. I hope you found this helpful! Thank you and, as a side note, please do _not_ add any more reviews to the story until AFTER I publish the next chapter, as that will be a sign that the problem has been fixed.**

**Thank you all and much love to you!**

**~B-chan**


	26. Taking That First Step Part 3

**Alright, my lovelies! The problems are fixed, your reviews are recorded and posted, and finally we can get the show back on the road. I was so frustrated with this, you have no idea. I was upset because I got your reviews in my email but they weren't recording on my stat tracker thing. I was upset! I didn't like that and decided that I would try to tell Fanfiction to hurry it up and fix the problem! But since the update is FINALLY done, we can move on.**

For those I mentioned in the previous chapter, thank you so much to Miss Random Person XD, AhhMyLife, EbonyPrincess22, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, and LunarMagick for reviewing so much...I'm sure you guys reviewed so much either because the system messed up or you didn't see your reviews show up. Either way, I got a whole lot of multiples that were reworded another way or whatever. Anyway, I still appreciated them so much and loved how sweet they were. I just felt it would be unfair to give you guys another chapter but not have you see what you tell me appear in the reviews. So I waited, and although it's after midnight here I'm happy to be publishing this chapter. And it's the one you've all been waiting for!

So, here is chapter 26, the new chapter 25 after the whole mess up with freakin' update. But oh well, it's the one you all wanted regardless. I hope you enjoy it and I literally can't wait to hear what you guys have to say about it! I hope I did well!

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><p>We must get to our destination, because the car stops and Kyoya gets out. He holds hand out to me, and I reluctantly take it. As much as I don't want to, I decide it's better than hitting my head on the door again. He closes the door and waves the driver off.<p>

"Okay, so we're at a park. What's so special about a park?" He smirks, shaking his head.  
>"This is as close as we could get. We have to walk from here. I hope you don't mind?" I shake my head.<br>"No, but...where are we going?" He puts a hand on my lower back and starts to lead me in a direction.  
>"You'll see." Is all I get from him. I hate it when my mother says that. Why does he have to say it too?<p>

It's twilight outside, which is really pretty, all things considered. The sun's almost set completely, and I see some stars coming out as well. I'm walking next to Kyoya, and though we don't talk, I'm enjoying the fact that he doesn't seem to be particularly mad at me or anything. Maybe apologizing and explaining will be easier than I previously thought.

We walk for a while, that much I know. We get to what looks like some festival. I cock an eyebrow but don't say anything as I continue to follow him. I've never been to a Japanese festival before...

The festival is beautiful, if nothing else. There are people walking around in traditional dress, playing traditional games, eating traditional food...it's amazing what is going on here. I'm actually enjoying taking in everything around me. There are so many things to watch and smell and listen to that you almost feel overwhelmed. But it's just enough.

I see couples everywhere, holding hands, and I feel so very awkward walking at Kyoya's side. I watch as they duck their heads together, smiling and blushing, whispering things to each other...it's just so cute. I feel a little jealous at seeing them but don't let it affect me too much. There's nothing I can really do about it. At this point I don't really know if he's going to push me off of some bridge or kiss me senseless, or something between those two. Who knows at this point, because I don't even know what's going through his head.

We continue, and I notice twice as many people heading in the same direction we are as there are people heading the opposite direction. I keep quiet though, and make sure that I stick close to Kyoya so that I don't get lost or bumped too far away. However, when I feel my right hand become immobile, I look and see that he's started to hold it. I blush a little, but don't say anything. I'm sure he's just making sure I don't get lost or tripped or stolen. Not that it would be easy to steal someone as large as me. I can see over most of everyone's heads, so there's no way I wouldn't see some creep coming my way.

But, I digress.

We get to a bridge that is absolutely beautiful. It's pitch black outside, no lights at all, and there are people everywhere. I grip Kyoya's hand a little tighter...I hate the dark, and even when I'm with a bunch of people I don't like it. It makes me feel so uncomfortable.

"Stay right here. I'll be right back. Don't move, whatever you do." I nod, though I'm sure he couldn't see me. His hand vacates mine, and a little bit of light comes up on the lanterns around us. I see all of these people around me, dressed in their traditional dress, and they're chattering excitedly. I see every spectrum of person here, old and young, traditional and modern dress, all sorts of them hanging around. I notice someone coming toward me—some guy, I don't even know who he is—and then he slides up to me and slides an arm around my waist.

"Hey there. You look a little lonely. Would you like some company?" I'm polite, of course. He hasn't done anything rude yet. Maybe putting his arm around me is a little forward, but I'm sure he's just trying to get my attention. He looks nice enough.  
>"I'm sorry, I'm actually here with someone else." I say, but it doesn't seem like he heard me or even wants to hear me, seeing as he talks right over me.<br>"What do you say I take you around the festival? It doesn't seem right for a beautiful woman like you to be standing here all by herself." This guy is clearly not getting the hint. As nice as he is being, I have to figure out something to get him off my case. I smile at him happily to get his complete and utter attention.  
>"It's so very nice of you to flatter me and want to entertain me, but I'm actually here with my boyfriend. I don't think he'd like it if I flirted or talked to another man. He's rather possessive." He's immediately backed away from me with an apologetic smile.<br>"Oh, I'm so sorry! Forgive me, I'll leave you be." And with that, he leaves.

Well, that was a whole lot easier than I thought.

"I don't remember ever saying that we were dating." I look to my left and see Kyoya standing there with a smirk on his face, his left hand in his pocket. I blush beet red.  
>"O-oh, you heard that? It was just to get him to leave me alone, I swear." I say, and he just shakes his head. The lights then dim completely again, and we're stuck in darkness. But at least I know that he's standing there next to me, so I'm not completely alone in this darkness. I feel another arm around my waist and smell that cologne again, and I know that it's Kyoya who's holding me.<p>

Why, I don't know, but I can only pray that he doesn't feel or hear how fast my heart is beating, since I am so close to him. I can't stop the question that comes out even though I know he won't tell me the answer anyway.

"What's going on?" I ask.  
>"Shh, just watch." I hear in response in my ear, which causes me to shiver a little.<p>

God, why do I act this way around him? Why can't things be the way they were before, when I could be around him without feeling so much like a girl? Without acting like a girl?

Why am I acting and feeling so abnormal?

We sit in the dark, and I almost get the urge to cross my arms in irritation. But just as I feel the wont to do it, the water lights up.

I can't help smirking to myself. This is beyond cheesy, but it's cute nonetheless and...I think it's sweet. He's taken me to see some sort of fountain and lights show. It plays traditional Japanese music as the water seems to dance, and there are people in masks, wearing traditional clothing, dancing around the scene with fans. They're on these platforms and dance around the small lake that's here. I watch it with some inner and outward amusement. As easy as it would be to say 'aww' I feel no need. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong...but I've seen plenty of fountain shows in my day. Still, I enjoy being here with him and seeing something as romantic as this. It's unique in it's own way.

I really am sappy on the inside, I promise. I'm probably ruining this for you. Forgive me.

The show ends and I can't help but smirk, crossing my arms. I turn to him and give him a look. He smirks in return.

"Well, isn't that sweet of you. You take me to see a fountain show out here in kingdom come. It's sweet of you, really." He chuckles at my sarcasm.  
>"It's good to know nothing's changed." He says, and I nod as we make our way from the bridge, pushing past the large crowd of people.<br>"Well, I didn't think it would...once the awkwardness was sorted through. After all, it's not like we're immature enough to let something so...stupid get between our friendship." I say, shrugging. He slips his hand into mine, leading me away from all of the people around us. Though for some reason I think there's more behind it, just in the way he's holding it.

"Friendship, hmm?" I laugh a little at his inquiry. So I was right, there's something more behind this cheesy detour.  
>"Yeah, I guess that's what we'll call it. For now, anyway." I say, glancing at him from the side. Of course I'm teasing him, but it's fun. Why not? After all, there never really is any harm in flirting with someone.<br>"What if that's not what I want?" He says. I raise an eyebrow. Someone's being forward today.  
>"Unfortunately, though I can't yet tell you why I acted the way I did before summer vacation, I can tell you that I'm not quite ready for another relationship. Don't worry, though. I'm not saying that I'm not interested...I just need some time first."<br>"You're making this quite complicated. Tell me, is that a confession?" I shrug, indifferent.  
>"More or less. I mean, come on, it's been obvious from the start that we've had some sort of mutual attraction." He laughs. He knows it as well as I do. We are the only two people involved, after all.<p>

"I agree. In truth, I have found your defensiveness rather intriguing. You are not someone that is quick and easy to figure out, by any means." I laugh.  
>"It's true. I do that on purpose. I don't trust people easily."<br>"Your sister has made that quite clear to me. Nevertheless I was able to make that conclusion on my own." I nod. I'll have to talk to her later about speaking to Kyoya about our relationship. If she gets involved, things will only get worse. Much, much worse.  
>"I figured as much. You're not stupid, Kyoya...just ignorant on occasion, that's all." I say, smirking at him and giving him a sideways glance. He smirks.<br>"There still leaves the reason why you decided that chastising and slapping me was a good idea." I shrug It's time that the truth comes out. As scared and nervous as I am right now, it's a whole lot easier than I thought it would be to say.

"Kyoya, before I caught you with Haruhi—for whatever reason, I don't care anymore—I was almost one hundred percent positive we were just friends with a slightly mutual attraction that would probably go nowhere else. I was certain we would stay friends. But I noticed at the water park how things were changing...how I wasn't able to stay as angry as long, how sometimes I'd feel my face flush or my heart race, and I thought nothing of it. I thought that I was just being a stupid girl. But when I saw you with Haruhi, something happened. Combined with the effects of my earlier encounter and me not being right in the head, I was freaking out. Those aren't excuses, mind you, just contributors. I felt something that was a whole lot stronger than friendship: jealousy. Something I'm not used to feeling nor have ever really felt before. I overreacted, said some stupid things...I apologize. I shouldn't have taken out my confusion and frustration on you. If I had given it some thought and not run out into the rain like some moron, I could have calmed down and just dealt with it then. But no, I ran away...like I always do. So, this is my vow to you: I'm not running away anymore. I like you, Kyoya, a lot more than I was at first willing to admit. So...I'm sorry for hitting you and snapping at you." I say, avoiding his gaze as we stand there outside of the festival. I didn't realize that we'd walked that far away from the crowd. We're back in the park, with very few people around us.

"...I'm beginning to notice a trend. I think it would simply be much easier for you to explain to me what goes on rather than reacting before thinking. Doesn't that sound about right?" I laugh.  
>"Yeah, just about. Let me tell you...it took some beating over the head, but Tori set me straight. I needed her from the start...I'm glad she's here. She'll keep me from messing up too bad. I'm not perfect." He pulls me close to him, surrounding me with his arms and making me blush. I didn't think him to be the openly affectionate type. Maybe it's because there's no one around who knows him or who cares. Either way, I'm not complaining one bit.<p>

"I don't expect you to be. No one is and no one should ever try to be. Whatever it is that's in your past, I'm certain that with time we can sort through it."  
>"We, Kyoya?"<br>"Yes, we. Both of us. I am certain that whatever lies in your past is not something indestructible. With time we can smooth over whatever it is that's bothering you. I'm willing to wait." I smile at this and can't help but blush. That makes me feel really good, giddy and happy.  
>"Thanks, Kyoya. That's really sweet." I say. He smirks, tilting my chin upward.<br>"You have taken my interest. As I see it, I don't plan on letting this go anytime soon. You are much too complicated, a puzzle that at first is deceptively simple. But the more you try to crack the code or fit in a key piece, the more intricate the puzzle gets. Never have I met a woman as complex and layered as you, Maria. You have quite a few walls that you've put up around you to protect yourself. It's curious as to why you feel the need to protect yourself so much when it's clear that I don't have any intention of hurting you." I laugh as his finger leaves my chin, though I remain with my face tilted toward him.

"Okay, if you say so. Whatever sort of benefit you could get from having me around is beyond me, but if that's what you want then I'm okay with it." He smiles.  
>"Benefit? You are beneficial, but not in the same ways as others are. You are different than they are. I am in the host club because it is beneficial to me and my career. It helps to boost my resume and get on my father's good side. My choices with you are purely selfish ones, choices that I have no intention of backing out on." I roll my eyes. I guess that's his way of sounding romantic. I'll take it, whatever the case.<p>

"So what was the point of bringing me out here today?"  
>"To tell you that I'm interested in you. And to apologize for whatever it is I did to upset you, because it was certainly not my intention. We got off on the wrong foot. I think it took time for the both of us to sort out our feelings, but genuinely I want to try and make this work. I've always thought women were troublesome, no matter how interesting they can get. You will have to forgive me if anything I do seems insensitive at times." I smile averting my gaze and then looking back.<br>"I suppose that will be okay. So long as you're ready to put up with whatever it is being involved with me brings. It's not going to be easy. My baggage gets a lot heavier the more involved with me you get." He smirks at this. I'm sure it'll be just another complication to the puzzle for him, something he'll enjoy 'solving' along with everything else. Good luck, I say, because it really isn't that easy. Deceptively simple is really the best way to describe it. I'm not going to make breaking into my heart easy. I'm not an idiot. I've been hurt enough to learn to keep up my guard.  
>"I don't mind in the least. We all have our problems." I nod.<br>"Good. Then you won't mind waiting." I say, trying to pull away. But I don't manage to, as he's holding me securely against him. He stares straight into my eyes. I feel my heartbeat increase tremendously at this. I see his eyes avert their gaze downward on my face, and that can only mean one thing.

Oh, Jesus, is this a bad time to say that I've never been kissed? And that I'm freaking out right now?

He leans forward and places a gentle kiss on my cheek, which is fine, but doesn't ease my racing heart. He chuckles at me, since I'm blushing, and I look away from him.

"Don't laugh at me...that's not funny."  
>"I take it you've never been—"<br>"Don't say it! No, I haven't. Let's leave it at that." I say, and he smirks.

"So where does this leave us, then?" I ask aloud after a long, awkward moment.  
>"I suppose it wouldn't be proper to say that we're just interested in each other." I shrug, though I can see where he's coming from. Things sound so...stupid when you say you're 'interested' but not 'dating'. People tend to think it's just a physical thing, nothing more. Believe me, I've never been physical, and it's going to be a <em>long<em> time before I feel comfortable with it.  
>"I think we should keep it to ourselves until I'm comfortable with moving forward. That way it keeps things simple. After all, if I were dating you things within the host club would be compromised." He shakes his head.<br>"Not necessarily. The idea of the host club is pure fantasy. I'm sure the both of us are mature enough to separate the club from the reality." I nod in agreement. He also has a point there as well.  
>"Still, it would be easier to just say no until we're ready to take that next step." I reason. He nods in agreement.<br>"If that's what you want, I suppose we can do that." I nod as we walk through the park, hand in hand, and then down the street to a nice place for dinner.

I certainly didn't expect the night to turn out the way it did. But I'm glad that it did. At least we can start things over, in a way, and make sure we do it right this time. And maybe...maybe I don't have to treat him like such a jerk.

Then again, it's just too much fun to eliminate it completely. I'll only do it when I'm in a particularly irritating mood. I'm sure that won't be too bad.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for taking me out today. It was fun." I say as I stand at the door of my new apartment, which he has yet to see. I grab the handle and jiggle, and since it doesn't open I know that Tori's not home. I'm glad Kyoya's with me. I was never very happy coming home to a dark, empty apartment alone, though I'd never admit that to anyone. I think the only one who knows of my phobia of the dark is my family. I don't know if I've told anyone else about it, and I don't intend to make it a public thing.<br>"It was the best evening I've had in quite some time, I assure you. So it really was no problem." I smile and nod, opening the apartment and realizing the place is pitch black.

The worst part is I don't even know where the light switches are yet. Dammit, I seem to always forget to memorize their locations even if I am nyctophobic. I reach for Kyoya's hand and pull him along.

"Is something the matter?" I shake my head nervously and try my best to keep my voice even.  
>"No, everything's perfectly alright. I just don't know where the light switches are and I need to find them. Don't want you to trip over anything, haha." I say, and of course I sound like a nervous wreck.<br>"You're afraid of the dark, aren't you?"  
>"Oh, you could tell? Well, it's a little embarrassing, but yes. And it's not just afraid. I'm nyctophobic. I'm never without a light of some kind, be it cell phone or flashlight. That's the way I've always been." I say as I pull him along, searching the darkness of the wall for a bump, something that tell me where I am. It's too bad my phone is thoroughly dead, otherwise I'd use the light. Just my luck. And yeah, I just lied to him. I was never afraid of the dark until a couple of years ago...which you can guess where that's from. I feel a bump along the wall, but trip in the process of turning on the light. The light snaps on as I grip Kyoya's hand for dear life, which sends us tumbling downward.<p>

And of course, like in some cliché manga, he ends up falling on top of me. I gasp as I hit the floor, then groan in pain. I then look up, straight into the eyes of Kyoya, who is quite obviously as startled as I am. He's pinning me down, one hand in mine, the other holding himself up from catching his fall. My other hand is pushing on his left shoulder, keeping him from falling on top of me. He stares into my eyes, and even though I should probably be freaking out right now, the only thing I'm thinking about are those eyes...

They'd be a painting all by themselves. It would take me hours to paint and blend all of the hues in them into perfection. And I don't think I'd mind a minute of it.

I feel fingers slide along my right cheek, and I feel my face flush. My heart's beating way too fast for this...what's going to happen to me? Oh wait, I'm just about to suck face with this hot guy towering over me. No big deal.

Except that I really like him and it's getting harder to breathe the closer he gets to me.

Wait, he's getting closer?

Without thinking I let the arm that's pushing him up slide around to the back of his neck. He leans forward, eyes half-lidded, as I feel mine start to slip closed. I can feel his breath on my lips, and I can hardly breathe right now. His hand grips mine tighter, our fingers lacing together. I let my eyes slip closed just before his lips come in contact with mine.

"Mari-chan! We're ho—oh my." I feel my face flush a tremendous scarlet as Kyoya stops short of kissing me, staring me straight in the eyes. I've found my breath again and gasp, slapping a hand over my mouth as Kyoya sits up. He then stands, helps me up, and I stare at my sister, who has her jaw on the floor. I don't remove the hand from my face as the blush increases at Kyoya gripping my hand in front of these two.  
>"Kyoya, you sly dog! Making a move on Mari-chan when no one's around!" Neither of us can really say anything. I see that Kyoya's face is sternly stoic. He must be trying really hard to keep it that way, because I see the veins in his neck stressing a little bit.<br>"Sis, you shouldn't have left the door wide open if you were busy getting it on. I mean, I know you're eighteen and all, and apparently you like younger guys, but really? Did you have to start something like that in the middle of our living room?" I glare at Tori through my blush.  
>"Tori, really? Do you honestly think I would...never mind. You...I can't believe that you two...ugh, I don't even know what to say right now."<br>"Why? Because we caught you red-handed?" I hear Tori comment. I glare at her some more. Kyoya drops my hand, much to my displeasure.

"...Well, this is awkward." I say softly. Tori giggles at this.  
>"I suppose it would be more appropriate for me to bid you good night, Maria." I hear Kyoya say, and I nod.<br>"Yeah, let's do that. Tori, say goodbye to Tamaki while I escort Kyoya out, okay? Oh, and make sure to turn on all of the lights before I get back inside." I say, all the while pushing Kyoya toward the door.

We get outside, and I manage to walk him down to his car. He turns to me and runs a hand through his hair with a sigh.

"...I'm sorry Kyoya. I swear I didn't know—"  
>"It's fine. There's no way we could have known they would be right behind us." I nod, and we stand there awkwardly for a moment.<br>"...Now that it's out, what are we going to tell people?" I ask him. He shrugs.  
>"The same thing we were going to tell them before would suffice, I assume. After all, we can say it's a fluke. It was, but they don't have to know that I was going to kiss you. So, technically speaking, we wouldn't be lying to them." I flush at this. Eighteen years old and I blush about kisses. What is wrong with me? I've read Yaoi more explicit than any sex I'll ever have. Why are kisses such a bother to me?<br>"...Right. Sounds good." I say, and he pulls me close. My blush intensifies. Dammit all and my female tendencies. Why do you always have to give away my embarrassment?  
>"I guess I will see you tomorrow then?" I smile shyly and then giggle. I put a hand over my mouth in shock. He chuckles.<p>

"Ah, so you can act like a girl. That's nice to know." He kisses my forehead, then my cheek gently. He lets me go and turns to leave, but I grab his shirt sleeve.  
>"Um, can I ask you something...that's probably a little weird?" He cocks an eyebrow, but turns back to look at me, hands in his pockets.<br>"I'm listening." He says. I kick off my shoes, which earns me a weird look from him.  
>"Do you mind if I hug you?" I ask, and he shakes his head. I'm relieved.<p>

Now I get to do what I've wanted to do all evening.

I let my arms surround his torso, burying my cheek against his chest. I hear and feel his heart rate, which is fast, and his cologne fills my senses. I sigh happily. This is what I wanted. His arms surround me as he chuckles. I smile at the vibrations, but all I can think about is holding him and the scent emanating off of him. It's not just the cologne, but the combination of his cologne and all other scents that are him. Feeling his body heat radiating with mine and holding him close to me makes me happier than I've ever felt, I realize, though honestly I don't know why. I just...don't want to let him go, because I don't want this fuzzy feeling in my heart and stomach to go away. I grip his shirt on his back to keep him in place, and to keep a bit of decent control on myself so I'm not molesting the poor guy.

"If this is what you wanted, you could have done it much sooner. I'm certain I wouldn't have minded." I look up at him, briefly taking my face away from his chest.  
>"I know but...well, it's really awkward to say to someone that they smell so good you want to hug them and not let go. I didn't want to be a creep." He laughs this time, shaking his head even though it is most certainly true.<br>"So it was my cologne that spurred on such a random act of affection from you? That's rather interesting. I never thought it would have much effect on others. I can wear it more when I'm around you, I suppose." I laugh at this, hugging him again.  
>"I wouldn't mind that, though I'm pretty sure it's just me you'll have to worry about." I say, and I can almost see and feel the smirk on his face at that one.<p>

Needless to say, this evening was just perfect...no matter how dysfunctional it seemed at times. And I'm still very glad I got to smell that cologne. It was worth waiting for.

* * *

><p><strong>SQUEEEE! SO CUTE!<strong>

**Haha, forgive my moment of otakuness. I was happy that things turned out so well.**

**I'm glad to be publishing again! You have all been so nice and diligent with reviewing and letting me know that things are going well. I'm glad I've got some of you addicted to this story. It means you'll keep coming back. I'm glad for that and I'm growing more confident as the story goes on.**

**I can't wait to hear what you all have to say! I love you all and happy days (nights...lol) to you all!**

**~B-chan**


	27. You Dropped a Bomb on Me, Maria Says

**Alright, my lovelies! Next chapter is ready to go!**

**I would LOVE to thank my wonderful reviewers! Thank you so much to Miss Random Person XD, EbonyPrincess22, LunarMagick, AhhMyLife and Akemi Tatsuyoshi. You guys are amazing!**

**To EbonyPrincess22: For clarification purposes, I hope you understand that Kyoya and Maria did NOT share their first kiss yet. They were interrupted by Tamaki and Tori in the last chapter. Your review said they kissed, but...well, they did not. I am building more tension, haha. I hope that clears things up! Thank you for your review anyways :D**

**So this is the next chapter. Some of you may wonder where I'm really going to go with this story...believe me, this story doesn't really have too much direction unless it involves Maria and Kyoya's relationship. Here we have where they are interested but not really dating. The dating thing comes later, but even when they start dating things really have no direction for a while. I just write fun stuff between them. Nothing really dramatic or important happens after they start dating until...well, a long time. So I'm just warning you that this story is purely for fun, that the direction it's going to take is going to be based upon not only some of the stuff in the manga, but also with me taking a lot of liberties with the storyline. I hope when I do it that it'll be an okay thing.**

**So, with that aside, have fun with this next chapter! I hope you guys enjoy the fluffiness!**

* * *

><p>"Maria...it's time to get up, lazybones!" I hear from my sister, and I groan as she shakes me.<br>"Tori...I'm tired...just five more minutes..." I say, and she giggles.  
>"I don't know if Kyoya wants to wait five more minutes." My eyes shoot open and I sit up.<br>"What do you mean?"  
>"He's waiting outside for you. You might want to get dressed. I didn't let him in because you look like hell after you've slept." I hop out of bed and find something to wear. I slip on the dress quickly and pull my hair up into a neat, high ponytail. I slip on my new flats, grab a small jacket to throw over the top of the strapless dress, and hurriedly apply some foundation. I slip earrings into my ears, put on a necklace and bracelet with my usual rings, and grab my art case.<p>

"Tori, do you have a ride to school?" She beams at me.  
>"Yes, Tamaki's going to be here soon. Don't worry about me, I'll make it there on time." I nod, heading out of the door and down the stairs to the walk. I see Kyoya looking much more normal and in pristine condition in his school uniform. His hair is as perfect as always.<p>

"I didn't realize you weren't an early riser." I shrug.  
>"You should have asked before feeling obligated to pick me up. Nevertheless, you're lucky I know how to get ready fast." I say as he helps me into his car.<br>"So tell me why you didn't come down here and decline my offer?" I shrug.  
>"It's not exactly polite to tell someone who's trying to do something nice for you to buzz off. Though I suppose I could have if you wanted me to." I say, giving him a look as he shuts the car door. He chuckles.<br>"I much prefer that you didn't." I smirk and cross my arms as we continue our small talk on our way to school, slightly pleased when he decides to lace his fingers with mine.

* * *

><p>The morning passes rather quickly, and when we break for lunch I break away from everyone else and make my way to my next class to see if I can get a leg up on any work that I have to do. The art studio is empty except for my teacher, as always. He looks at me and beams.<p>

"Ah, Maria! It's good to see you! Tell me, how was your summer vacation?" I smile.  
>"It was good. What did I miss?" He hands me a stack of papers, and my eyes widen.<br>"What's this?" I ask him. He beams at me.  
>"It seems you're a popular girl. These are all commissions from various affiliates with Ouran, all willing and able to pay well for your work. You don't have a deadline, but I am making these your assignments. I hope you get to work on them as quickly as you can. You were always quick to produce your work. I'll expect no less if you want to retain your scholarship." I nod, taking the papers and going to sit down to sort through them all.<p>

These are going to be some long, hard next few weeks. Damn it all...why did this have to happen now?

* * *

><p>"Thanks for helping me, Kyoya. You certainly didn't have to help me bring them home."<br>"It was really no problem at all. Where do you want them?"  
>"Just set them back in my room. I have to get the place set up for them first. Food, water, litterbox...all of it. So it'll be a minute. If you want, you can leave when you've set them down. I have a lot of work to do when I'm done taking care of them, anyway." He gives me a look as I set down the bags of stuff that I bought for these adorably fluffy companions of mine. He leaves the room and is back within minutes to help me unpack all of the stuff.<br>"What kind of work do you have?" He asks me, and I sigh.

"I have a huge stack of commissions from my art teacher today. He says some of the school's affiliates are very interested in me and has made them my assignments. A great deal of them are just some easy, small drawings and paintings. But I have to call a couple of them because they want me to do family portraits and landscapes on their property. Then I have a huge, full scale canvas to do that can only be done at school. I'm going to have no time for myself in the next few weeks...just me and my art supplies." I say, rambling on and arranging everything throughout the house. Where in the world is Tori? I was excited to show her the kittens. I hope she comes home soon so I can show her.  
>"I suppose I better take my leave of you then. Better to let you work than deter you any further."<br>"I'm not starting any of it until tomorrow, but I do need to take care of the kittens tonight. Between them and school I don't think I'll have much time for anything else. I won't be in the club for a while either, unfortunately. I guess our time together is going to be limited quite a bit until I get everything done." I say, and he shrugs with indifference, which kind of stings but also makes me glad that it won't bother him if we're apart for weeks on end. It's a good sign, meaning he's not clingy. I'm glad there is a God, then, though whether he exists or not is really relevant right now.

"If it's what you have to do, there's not much that either of us can do about that. This time of the year is always busy for everyone, myself included. It's better to buckle down early on than to procrastinate and buckle down when everyone else is out and about." I nod, slipping past him back into my room. I hear their crying mews and coo to them to get them to calm down.  
>"It's alright, little ones! It's okay! Mama's right here...there you go. All better, yeah?" I pick up the marmalade. She's by far my favorite out of them all. She's the sweetest and mildest tempered of her sisters and seems to be attached to me the most.<p>

The little black one crawls about, but when she sees Kyoya in the doorway she bolts right for him. It seems it wasn't a fluke; Kyoya is her favorite person. Or maybe it's any man in general, though I have yet to have her around Tamaki to prove or disprove my speculations. Nevertheless he gently picks her up and she purrs and cuddles with him.

"It seems you really do have an admirer. I didn't know you were a cat person, Kyoya." I say, smiling. That kind of makes me happy that he gets along well with cats. I love them so much, it would be hard to have a relationship with someone who couldn't stand cats.  
>"They are independent and smart creatures. They don't require the level of care that dogs do. For some, dogs are a great animal to have. But cats suit the independent person much better than a dog." I shake my head with a smile. Always business with him. Still, he does have a point. Though I will have to take care of these kittens with great love and tender affection, they don't require near the amount of attention and care that dogs do. Plus I hate dogs, so that's why I don't own one.<br>"I suppose you three are hungry. Let me get you guys some milk." I make my way to the kitchen with the marmalade on my shoulder, curling up there and purring ever so happily. I feel paws on my feet and know that the cute little gray one is standing down there, waiting for me.  
>"I'm glad I went and got whole milk for you guys. Here, let me warm it up for you." I slip it into the microwave for about fifteen seconds, then set the small bowl on the floor. Instantly all three kittens are down there lapping up the milk. I giggle a little.<br>"They're so cute. I'm so glad I found them. I would have hated to see these three little things put down." Kyoya walks up next to me.  
>"They're lucky to have you to take care of them. It seems you really know what you're doing."<br>"All of the cats at home I helped raise. I have a couple of nine year olds, and we got them when they were about the same age as these guys. We've added many since then, and it just seems like it comes naturally to me. It's so second nature that I guess...I just know what to do without even really thinking about it." I say, watching the three wiggling kittens push their way past each other to get to the milk.

"They're lucky, as I've said. I'm sure you will give them a great home." I smile.  
>"Thanks. I can't wait to see the look on Tori's face when she sees these three. I have to wait to name them until she gets home. No doubt she's going to love that little gray one...it's about as mischievous as they come. Kind of like her." I say, and he chuckles.<br>"I suppose I should leave you to tend to them. I have to make my way home, as well." I nod, following him to the front door as he leaves. He leaves with a kiss on my cheek and a smile. I close the door and can't help smiling like some lovesick girl.

My heart and stomach are fluttering happily, I can't stop smiling...I'm so happy. The calm before the storm, it seems, since that will probably be the last time I'll see him besides glances and hellos at school when we happen to see each other.

I walk back into the kitchen, only to be bombarded by three little kittens. The little black one whines loudly at the disappearance of her favorite person.

"I'm sorry little one, he left. What should we name you, hm?" She mews at me as I hold her, rubbing across my face and licking me.  
>"I think...Mika. Yes, I like that name. So you're Mika. And you, little one..." I pick up the marmalade and start to think.<br>"What could I name you? English? French? Japanese? What kind of name do you want?" It mews at me with indifference to a choice.  
>"I'll make it English. How about Ginger? Hmm...no, maybe...Marmy? No, that's dumb. Ugh...I don't know, I'll ask Tori about you other two when she gets home. She'll know better than I will. She's always been good at picking names..." I say, setting down the little kittens. I migrate to my room and pick a book off of my shelf. I sit down on my bed, and shortly after I get comfortable I become a kitten couch. All three of them are laying on me, one on each shoulder and the other on my stomach. They all go to sleep, and I end up reading in peace.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>And that's the end of that! I hope you enjoyed it my lovelies, and I hope you stick with me. Maria and Kyoya's relationship will get very complex, of that I'm certain. I just hope I can manage to keep things slow between them. You guys seem to like it so I have a challenge ahead of me. <strong>

**Much love and happy days!**

**~B-chan**


	28. Working and Stressing and Painting

**Alright, my lovelies! Here is the next chapter!**

**As always, I would LOVE to thank my reviewers. Thank you so much to EbonyPrincess22, Miss Random Person XD, Half-Angel-Writer, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, LunarMagick, and AhhMyLife. Thank you all so, so much and I love you all! **

** Also, I would like to thank StarTime101 for favoriting this story. That's so sweet of you and it means so much to me for you to be favoriting it this far along in the game!  
><strong>

**So, darling AhhMyLife has said something sweet to me that I would love to share. She said I should write whatever I want because you guys would love it no matter what. That really made my day because I've been stressing over what I should and shouldn't do as a writer with this story. I realized that she is right! I should write things how I want them to go. And that's exactly what I've done. With some editing I think this story is going to be great. I'm having a bit of a road block at the moment, as I have an idea for something months and months ahead of where I'm stopped and have to fill in something there instead of skipping a whole bunch of months. I have to make Kyoya fall in love with Maria and that is NOT easy at all! Ugh the pressure...I feel it.**

**So, I'm excited to present to you the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! It's basically filler but it's whatever. Nothing really important happens for a few chapters yet.**

* * *

><p>"Tori, remind me again why I decided to pursue art?"<br>"Because you loved it and it was the only thing you were good at besides being smart."  
>"...Right. Why didn't you shoot me?"<br>"Because then you wouldn't be making us any money and you wouldn't be here and I never would have met Tamaki and the others." She says, all in one breath. I see where her loyalties lie.

I collapse on the floor of the studio. It's dark outside, and without a doubt it's late. Tori was practicing her violin a while ago when she brought me dinner. I ate it quickly and painted until I finished. Now I have another thing to check off of my list, though I'm exhausted without a doubt.

"Tori, can you go check on Mika, Ginger and Storm? Make sure they get fed and the boxes are cleaned?" She hops up without a word, leaving me in the studio. I have yet to move from my spot.

I haven't even been to classes this week, I realize. I go to get the homework from my teachers after school, then head either to the art room or home to paint or draw. I'm glad no one asked for pottery. I would have shot myself if anyone had.

Tori comes up some minutes later and finds me still on the floor.

"Maria, you should go to bed. It's kind of late..."  
>"I will. Give me a minute to get up. How are the children?"<br>"They're all sleeping on your bed. Except for Storm, she's on my bed." I nod and turn off the studio light, closing the door and descending the stairs to my room. I collapse on my bed—carefully avoiding the babies—and manage to slip off my glasses and get under the covers before I go to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Tori's shaking me awake, and I groan. I'm sore and aching everywhere, and with Ginger laying underneath my chin, purring, I just want to sleep some more.<p>

"I've got some muscle relaxers and aspirin for you. I'll go get some water so you will feel better." Tori says. She's always done this for me, so she knows what I need. I'm glad. I don't want to move until I have some drugs in my system.

When she returns with the water, I grumble my gratitude, gently set aside Ginger, and pop the pill down my throat. My limbs protesting, I manage to rise from my bed and stretch fully before slowly and methodically walking to my closet. I pull out some of my painting clothes even though I'm going to be at a mansion all day today and tomorrow. I dress, put my hair up, grab my art supplies, and no sooner does the clock strike eight then I'm out the door to the car waiting to pick me up. Sadly, it's not Kyoya's, but nevertheless I don't have to walk. If I had to I'd surely call them and reschedule.

I get to the mansion—I don't even know their names, and personally, nor do I care to know—and step out of the car. I walk into the foyer and then I am directed to a room that is entirely empty, save for a canvas and easel in the middle of the room with scenery in the background of the room. The entire family isn't there yet—no one at all—so I begin on the background instead. I don't care if they're not here, I can still start without them here. The sooner I get this done, the faster I can be out of this hoity-toity home.

"Good afternoon, Miss McMillan. I trust you feel welcome this morning?" I look at the man addressing me—a businessman, by the looks of it—and I put on my best 'host' smile.  
>"Very much so, sir. Are you and your family ready to start?" He laughs boisterously, his large belly shaking. I almost want to laugh too, but hold back for fear of offending him. He is paying me, after all.<br>"As ready as we'll ever be. You look to be ready, if I may say so. You've already started!" I feel my face flush a little at this. I hope he's not implying that I'm jumping the gun. I make a quick recovery.  
>"Well sir, I didn't want to make you and your family sit for too long. It does get hard after a while." He smiles and nods.<br>"That's very kind of you, but I can assure you there is no rush. Please, take your time. Would you like to direct us where you'd like us to sit?"  
>"Oh no, that's alright. Situate yourselves however you want. It makes no difference to me." I say, and he nods, turning. I look over the family, then notice their son. He's...he's the guy from the bistro! So the boy who flirted with me at the bistro is this man's son?<p>

Guess it really is a small world after all.

They manage to sit down and get situated, and then look at me. I do the minimum necessary to create their images, so that once the skeleton is down I can just embellish on my own. I make quick strokes, slow ones, and though they have me scheduled here for two days I have a feeling it will only need to be one. I may finish this today if things continue to go well.

That is, so long as they don't ask me to paint any more. They never did specify on their papers what they were going to have me do. They only gave me vague details, nothing more.

After an hour goes by I get the outlines done and allow them to stretch as I embellish what I've done so far. I don't get much done because I'm actually interrupted.

"Maria! I didn't know it was you who would be painting us! I hope your time at our mansion has been pleasant?" I smile at him, being polite. He's managed to keep a safe distance between us, which makes me glad. I wouldn't want to have to get defensive on him.  
>"It has been, actually, though I haven't been here long. Satoshi, right?" He smiles.<br>"Right! You remembered! I hear you and Kyoya are getting along really well. Care to tell me what that's all about?"

He doesn't waste any time. I haven't really talked with Kyoya about our relationship that much...I have to wait a little longer. Until I'm ready to move on. I didn't even think about what our relationship could do to him and his reputation. His family's reputation as well.

I suppose him dating a commoner wouldn't be looked upon very well. But, no sense jumping to conclusions for myself or anyone else.

"We're just good friends. Should there be something else going on?" I ask him quizzically. He flushes a little.  
>"No! No, not at all, I was just curious." I smirk and continue to paint.<br>"Oh, alright." I say.

We continue to talk while they take their break, about nothing really. At lunch I manage to get away from the chaos. I pull out my phone and sit out in the garden, checking the time.

It turns out I'm going to be doing three or four different portraits, much to my displeasure. I finished the first one, and I will do another one this afternoon. Then I will come back tomorrow and paint the last two portraits.

Oi, this is going to be a long next couple of days.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Maria, these are absolutely exquisite! I thank you for taking time out of your busy days to come by and do these portraits for us. They really are wonderful." The businessman gushes to me on the eve of the second day. I'm glad to be leaving, in all honesty. As nice as these people are, Satoshi has been following me around like a dog since we started this little venture. I am glad to be leaving rather soon. That way he'll leave me alone.<br>"Maria, are you leaving?" I cringe inwardly but manage to smile to Satoshi.  
>"Yes, I have to get home and get some rest. I have a lot more work ahead of me yet." He nods, then sighs.<br>"Maria, would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"

No subtlety in the least, I see. Well, I can give him props for having some balls and being honest.

"...I'm sorry, Satoshi, but to be honest, I'm not really interested in you. I hope I don't hurt you or anything, but I have someone else in mind." He has a hurt look on his face. It makes me feel a little bad, but I'm being honest with him.  
>"...It's Kyoya, isn't it? All of the girls like him! It's always him and that Suoh!" I put my hands up in defense.<br>"I didn't say who, Satoshi. I'm just saying that I have someone else in mind...the gesture is very sweet, honestly, but I just can't see us in a relationship. Sorry if that's...a little mean." I say, bowing respectfully and leaving him there. I don't want to stick around if I don't have to. Rejecting someone is really awkward. I know what it's like to be on the other end of that...it's not pretty and you just feel like shit. I know that when I was rejected, I wished that the person rejecting me had just walked away. That way I could be left alone.

He doesn't follow me, which is good. Hopefully things don't blow up in my face about this incident. Minor though it seemed, karma has a way of coming back to haunt you. And karma really doesn't like me anyway, so...let's just leave it at that.

_{One week later}_

I haven't seen or even talked to Kyoya, much less the host club, since a couple of weeks ago. It seems like it's been ages and ages. I feel a bit like a recluse, sitting here in my studio painting and drawing all day. But I've managed to get almost all of the commissions done. My bank account is piling up fast, and so is my homework. My teachers gave me a deadline of 'whenever you can manage to get it done', so I'm lucky about that. But the pile has been getting higher and higher. Tori keeps bringing home more and more assignments and I feel as if I'm being buried beneath the papers and reading assignments and make-up take-home tests and blah blah blah. Now I find out that I'm going to be having fall exams, and soon. I believe it's the week before Halloween. Basically, that means I have to be caught up by the time exam week comes. I don't even know the date anymore, so who know how long that is. I know it's not a lot at all, but I don't know exactly how much time it is. I don't know how to pace myself. I'm going to have to bury myself in my books after all of these commissions are done, telling my teacher to ix-nay on the assignments until Halloween is over.

Why did I decide to do this again? Why did I decide to pursue art?

Oh right, I'm an idiot who's in love with art. That's why.

I quickly finish the landscape I'm working on—a beautiful tropical paradise based off a mountain of vacation pictures—and I take a break to let the painting dry and give my back something else to do besides support my weight.

I head downstairs and shower. When my hair is dry and straightened, I come out of the bathroom in a black tank-top and snowman pajama pants with bright neon green socks. I hear laughter and voices coming from the living room, and that can only mean one thing.

Tori brought someone home, and that person could only be...

"Mari-chan! It's so good to see you! I've been so worried about my princess, I haven't been able to sleep well for the past month!"  
>"Um, Tamaki...it's only been two weeks. Chill out." I say as I walk into the living room. I'm surprised to see not only Tori and Tamaki, but Kyoya as well. They're all in their uniforms—Tori decided wearing the high school dress was only right, since it was 'fashionable'—and I feel suddenly very lazy and yawn in response to them.<br>"Sis, why aren't you dressed?"  
>"I didn't go to school today, doofus. Why would I get dressed if I didn't have to? Besides, I'm only taking a break before I get back to work." I say, striding through the living room to get to the kitchen. I want some iced tea and a snack to take back up to the studio. But I also want to sit down...<p>

No! I must persevere! Only three more hours and I can be done for the evening!

I pull out the iced tea pitcher in the fridge and pull down the granola bars I had bought a couple of days before. I pour a large glass of tea and grab a couple of granola bars before making my way back to the studio. I set up a stool for my consumables and then get back to work on the next thing.

Great, it's small and easy to do. But I have to go back to my room to get reference materials, so again I head back down the stairs, making a right u-turn down the hallway to my room at the far end of the hall.

I sit down, and my back thanks me by aching and screaming at me. I bite my lip for fear of crying out in pain. Ugh, this hurts. I skim the bookshelves and start looking through the books I have for a reference to a particular bird. I know I have a picture of a peacock and peafowl somewhere in this mess...

"I see that you have been quite busy." I hear that voice and can't help smiling. And on top of that, I found the book. I stand—with some effort, of course—and sigh. I smile at Kyoya.  
>"Yeah, I have been. I don't do much else besides eat, paint, and sleep. I haven't had time...I have so much homework to catch up on it's not even funny. I'm thinking that I'll have to start taking breaks to do homework while paintings dry or something..." I say, rambling to myself as I flip through the book. Two hands shut the book in my hands, remove it from my grasp, and then pull me close. I blush a little at this.<p>

Well, I never took Kyoya as the affectionate type. Maybe it's just me who thinks that way? If anything he'd be the type who can't stand affection. Then again, I could be the exception. But that's highly unlikely.

"I'm sorry I've been so busy." I say softly. He just shakes his head.  
>"You don't have to apologize. You have been busy, and the work is good for you. Besides, you've been getting great feedback, haven't you?" I nod.<br>"Yes, excellent feedback, in fact. It's really rewarding, and I don't mind doing it...but I'd like some time to do what I want, too. I kind of miss being with you and the others. It's kind of lonely being up in the studio all day. With my teacher pressuring me to get all of this done as soon as possible, I don't really have time for much of anything." I say, and he nods in response.

"I understand. Your sister is undergoing some of the same pressure from her teacher as well. I don't know if she's told you that." I sigh, shaking my head.  
>"No, she hasn't. I'm so out of the loop that half the time I can't even tell what the date is anymore."<br>"It's nearly October." I nod.  
>"I figured as much. September seems to be flying by." He nods.<br>"It certainly has." I lean into him and put my head on his right shoulder. He holds me there for a moment, and I can definitely tell I'm tired because I feel myself wanting to fall asleep.

Just then, a cute little black fuzzball interrupts and climbs up onto Kyoya's shoulder.

"Well, hello there. I see you're already stalking your favorite person, Mika." Kyoya chuckles.  
>"She's in here not only because of me, but it seems she's also terrified of Tamaki." I laugh.<br>"Maybe it's because he smells like the dog he has." Kyoya shrugs one shoulder and strokes Mika, who in turn rubs up against him and purrs very loudly. I find the sight very cute. I never thought he would be the type for pets. But it seems he really does like cats. That's definitely a plus.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, Maria...could I possibly pull you away from your work Saturday evening?" I cock an eyebrow.  
>"For what?"<br>"A bit of fine dining and time to ourselves." I feel my face flush a little bit.  
>"U-um, well...I suppose that would be okay. Where at?" He chuckles.<br>"I'll take care of that. Don't worry about it." I nod and pick up the book again.  
>"I suppose I better get back to work. If I work from now until dinner I won't have to do any more painting tonight. Maybe I'll be able to focus on some homework instead." He nods, taking my hand and kissing it tenderly. I avert my gaze with a bit of a shy smile. I feel so...awkward with him doing things like that. How am I going to have the courage to move forward at this rate?<p>

I feel so stupid. I know a lot but have no experience with relationships, I have no idea what Kyoya knows about them, and honestly at 18 years old I'd like to have a serious relationship. I've never been the type to date willy-nilly...I've always been the serious one. I guess that's why I've always been single...high school is about frivolity and drama, if nothing else. Me? I prefer the quiet corner to the limelight most of the time. Things are a lot easier to handle in the corner. Still, dating someone seriously would be nice, for a change, provided I can trust him. I just haven't been able to move forward from what happened two years ago, and until I can I don't want to have a relationship. I want to put my own demons to rest, and no amount of consoling me about 'working it out together' is going to change my mind.

I'm sorry, Kyoya, but I won't date you until I've sorted this out myself. No one is going to be able to do it for me. It's best if I face it on my own. It's time to grow up and be an adult about this now that in the eyes of most I am an adult.

I retreat back to my studio and draw the peacock and peafowl. I use colored pencils—and no, not like a seventh grader—to shade the colors. It comes out beautifully, and I know I have eight more of these to go. They want to create a three-by-three pattern on the wall, the client. So I have to make nine different pictures in an array that they drew for me, provided with their paperwork.

It'll be wonderful when everything is done. I have so much to do and four weeks to do it. That's wonderful, as long as I get everything done. If I don't, well...I may as well kiss my scholarship goodbye. It isn't easy trying to be number one in the girls. Tori's had to be satisfied as number two overall to maintain her scholarship, which means she has to beat out the twins in their grades. She's been successful so far, which is good. But as for me, maintaining my scholarship is a lot harder. Ayame Jonouchi, the previous number one girl, is now bumped down to the number four spot. I stand in just above Tamaki at number two, who is number three. However, I let her have the spot as class rep for the girls...I certainly don't have the will nor the patience for that type of thing. Honestly, I could care less so long as I keep up my grades. I'm never involved with what class 2-A does, anyway. I stick to myself.

I just hope that I can be left alone for Halloween. A place that's large, very bright, and I'm all alone sounds like a great idea. I don't like Halloween. Never have, never will.

_{Next Day}_

I drop the pile of stapled receipts on my teacher's desk and smile to him. He looks through them all, then smiles at me.

"Ah, I see you got them all done. And in two weeks, no less! That's great, Maria, very great. You're a hard and dedicated worker." I nod with my hands on my hips.  
>"That should do good for the school's reputation, too. Now, if you don't mind, sir, I actually need to get out of here and make it back home to catch up on homework. I have a lot of it ahead of me because of this pile you put on me." He smiles.<br>"That's alright! I don't have much else for you to do. I'll read the reviews that your clients gave you—you didn't read them, did you?" I shake my head.  
>"You told me not to, so I didn't. Plus it's bad karma. You're grading me based on what they said?"<br>"Yes, I am. Their satisfaction with what you did is what will pass or fail you on this. I'm sure you did just fine. You're free to go when you're finished here." I nod and leave the room, making my way home. I have a ton of homework to get through, so this is going to be fun. So, so much fun.

Note the sarcasm, folks.

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><p><strong>Ah, I love Maria. She's so much fun. And the best part is that she's always in my head, haha. <strong>

**I look forward to what you guys have to say! As much as it's always great, I always look forward to it because it means I'm doing a good job. If you have any questions or criticisms don't be afraid to speak up! After all I can only get better if you guys tell me what it is I do that doesn't make sense.**

**Much love and later days!**

**~B-chan**


	29. First Date Blues

**Alright my lovelies! Here is the next chapter!**

**I would like to thank Miss Random Person XD, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, AhhMyLife, Half-Angel-Writer, and EbonyPrincess22 for reviewing my story! Thank you all so much!**

**I'd also like to thank ARavensWhisper for favoriting AND alerting my story. You are wonderful, my darling, for adding this story to your lists so late! I thank you so very much!**

**So, I know I'm taking a little longer to update than usual. I have a reason for that! My sister just bought Sims Life Stories for the computer...and my computer is the only one in the household that can actually successfully run computer games. So I have been letting her play it, and suddenly my other sister wants to play it too. Needless to say, the only time I get my computer back is when my sisters go to bed. Why did I get a laptop with more harddrive space than I know what to do with...?**

**But that may change soon if my mother buys them a new desktop. It would be great to have my computer back.**

**So, the point of that is, updates will be slower. Probably two or three days, maybe longer, before I get a new chapter out. For some that is probably really quick, but I like to be prompt lest I get lazy and not publish at all for a long time.**

**Thank you for listening to me ramble and here is the next chapter!**

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><p><em>{A Few Days Later}<em>

"Um...Maria?" I hear my sister's voice at my doorway, and I look up at her from my math book.  
>"Yeah?" I ask her, rubbing my eyes and setting down my pencil. How long have I been sitting here?<br>"You told me to let you know when it was almost six, and it's almost six. What's happening tonight?" I stand and stretch, popping my shoulders, neck and back.  
>"I'm going out for a bit, that's all." She smirks at me.<br>"With Kyoya, no doubt." I flush a little but shrug it off as best as I can as I start to look through my closet for something to wear that's suitable for 'fine dining'.

Why do I feel like I have to impress? I'm not dating him yet...but we are going to a fancy restaurant. The equivalent of the average person's dinner and a movie to a blue blood, I guess. But I should at least look nice.

"And if I am?"  
>"Well, it's a little more like a date. Though he does like to take you out to eat a lot."<br>"Yeah, I guess that is true. I wonder why that is?" I ask aloud, pulling a dress that's very nice. I haven't had the chance to wear this dress yet...hopefully this will impress a little bit.  
>"You're going to wear the little black dress? Good choice!" Tori says, rifling through my vanity. I give her a look.<br>"Tori...what are you doing?"  
>"I'm picking out some of your jewelry. You're curling your hair, right?"<br>"Actually, I was thinking about straightening it."  
>"Well, scratch that. You're curling it." I roll my eyes as she piles my makeup and jewelry on the vanity.<p>

"Tori, I'm not going out for prom. I'm going out to dinner with Kyoya."  
>"Yeah, but don't you think this night ought to be special? I mean, you guys aren't dating yet, but it's clear he wants to."<br>"What gave you that indication?" I ask her as I strip down and put on my dress. She sighs.  
>"You haven't been to the club lately, but Kyoya's been ultra chipper compared to how he usually is. And I can just tell...he wants you to be his. He's possessive like that." I laugh a little. She has a point...I could see him as the possessive type, though I haven't seen it yet.<br>"...Maybe. Who knows."

"Why else would he take you out, Maria? I mean, really? He's going out of his way tonight to take you to a fancy restaurant, which means a reservation and formal dress and God knows what else he has on his mind. He's trying to impress you." I say the next thing without thinking.  
>"He doesn't have to try and impress me Tori...he just has to stand there." She gapes at me, and I realize what I've said. I blush and she giggles.<br>"I think you like him a lot more than you let on. I guess you two have missed each other a lot more since you've been so busy. I have a feeling it won't be too long before you two are schmoozing all over each other and making out at every corner." I face-palm at this.  
>"Is that really necessary, Tori?" I ask her, curling my hair. She hums about my room as I do so, and it's an awkward silence between us as I do.<p>

"Tori...I'm really nervous." I finally say. She turns to me and smirks.  
>"The truth is revealed! Why are you nervous?"<br>"Because I don't know what I'll say if he asks me out." She gapes at me in awe into the mirror as I finish my hair and start to apply my makeup.  
>"You're going to say yes, of course. You shouldn't even have to think about it." I shake my head.<br>"Tori, I can't just say yes. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do about—" She groans at this.  
>"You're <em>still<em> bringing that up? When are you going to see that Kyoya isn't like John?"

That stings. I haven't heard that name in a while...I guess it still hurts. Reason enough to still say no.

"Tori, it's not that Kyoya's like him or anything...I'm still dealing with it. I don't want to hurt Kyoya by having those memories weigh me down in our relationship. I want to fix it first before I just jump into another relationship." She smacks me on the back of the head.  
>"Ow!" I say, and she puts her hands on her hips.<br>"Part of a relationship is trust, Maria. Kyoya isn't going to be scared off by your 'scary monsters', alright? You need to hurry up and deal with it, because he's not going to wait forever."  
>"...Tori, he's known how I felt for only a few weeks now. It's not that long..."<br>"Long enough! You two, I swear, are prancing around each other like middle school kids with their first crush." I shake my head and pull my black, strappy heels from the closet. It's time to show off the nice manicure and pedicure Tori and I went and got today. It was nice because we also got a massage and full body waxing, minus the bikini. I don't think I could have handled that and walked normal, in all honesty. It was basically a spa day for the both of us, and I thoroughly enjoyed it after all the crap I've gone through the past few weeks.

The bright red that I got stands out among all of the black and silver, and they match my bright red glasses. I matched them all up because I thought it would be cute. I grab my black leather purse, which is small, and fill it with a couple of things before looking myself over in the mirror.

"You look scrumptious, dear sister. Don't worry, he's going to be making out with you by the end of the night." I face-palm.  
>"Tori, you're ridiculous. Just stop, please? No one is going to be doing any mouth-to-mouth tonight." She gives me a sly look.<br>"You might change your mind if he looks as good as you do." I spritz a little bit of my perfume—brought over here from America, called Beyonce's Heat Rush—and then fluff my hair before strutting out to the living room.

"Maria, you're all legs. Just saying. They're, like, a mile and a half long." I notice that she's right. My dress is form fitting and stops at just above my knees. The rouging of the satin helps to hide the ever-present love handles I seem to be unable to get rid of. It smooths it out and give me a nice shape to my wide hips.  
>"Does it look bad?"<br>"No, there's just a lot of leg. And cleavage. You might want to do something about that, unless you want him to be staring at your boobs all night." I notice that she's also right about that. So I adjust the dress—and my bra—to make the cleavage much more discreet.

"How about now?" She grins at me.  
>"Sexy, conservative, and sophisticated. It fits you. You should dress like that more often." I roll my eyes.<br>"If I wasn't a painter, Tori, I would. But I am a painter, and that's what I do all of the time. It doesn't allow a lot of room to ruin good clothes." I say. She peeks out of the window and then squeals.  
>"Oh, he's here! He's going to come up to the door! Oh, and he looks amazing, by the way. If I didn't have Tamaki, I'd eat him alive." I roll my eyes, but inside my heart is racing.<p>

I can't help wondering if this is too much, not enough, or if I'm just going to look so strange to him. Is there anything wrong? Am I too flashy with my legs and chest? Is the dress right for the occasion?

Sometimes I envy Kyoya for being male. I wouldn't have half of the problems I do now if I was, too.

"You stay in the living room. I'll answer the door so that I can make him come in and see you in your full glory." I bolt past her as there is a knock on the door.  
>"Maria, no, wait! I have to make you have a grand entrance!" I throw out my nervousness and open the door. I quickly shut it behind me and cling to the doorknob so that she doesn't open the door. I'm standing face to face with Kyoya.<p>

"Problem?" He asks, and I shake my head.  
>"No, not at all. My sibling is just trying to embarrass me. Nothing new." I say, and then he chuckles and takes a step back. I see his eyes sweep over me and I avert my gaze. I don't want to know what he's thinking or what his face is saying. I'm really nervous, but of course, I keep telling myself that's normal. It does nothing to slow my racing heart.<br>"Maria, look at me." I manage to look up, and I see his hand extended to me. I take his hand and walk with him, and he leans close to my ear.  
>"You look beautiful. Don't be embarrassed." I flush at this.<p>

Beautiful? That's such a powerful word. It sends my heart and stomach into a fluttering frenzy. I focus on putting one foot in front of the other instead, hoping to let the nervousness die a little bit. We get to the car, and I maneuver myself into it without giving Kyoya one of those corny anime panty shots.

* * *

><p>When we arrive, he helps me out of the car, we make our way inside, and already I know that this is really expensive. I feel bad for even walking on these carpets and setting my eyes on all of the crystal and silk that are surrounding me. This is definitely fine dining.<p>

"Ah, Mr. Otori! Please, come this way. Your table is waiting." Kyoya extends his elbow to me, and I take it and walk with him. I have to try and avoid looking around, but it's just so tempting to do. I manage to let my eyes wander but refrain from turning my head to look around. We're led all of the way back to the very back of the restaurant, to a private dining room with a table set for two.

He really went all out. Why do I feel so awkward and stupid right now? I'm in utter shock. This is...quite a bit to be doing for someone you're mildly interested in.

I'd say this is maybe fourth or fifth date type stuff, but for Christ's sake I've never kissed this guy before and already I'm being taken to a really nice restaurant. To say that I am shocked beyond words would be an understatement.

When we sit down, Kyoya says something to our waiter, who then leaves. I look around, and once we are alone, I can't help freaking out a little.

"Fine dining, you call this? Oh my God, Kyoya, really? This place is..."  
>"Beautiful, yes?" I nod, then sigh.<br>"That's not my point. This is date number one! First date ever! Don't you think this is...excessive?" He gives me a smirk that I can only describe as sexy and devious. As much as it makes my heart race, I still want an answer.  
>"Not at all. It's not every day that I get the pleasure of seeing you dressed so nicely."<p>

Oh...so that's your motivation. To stare at my legs and cleavage all night. Okay, sounds good.

I give him a look, which he returns with a smirk.

"Really?" I say with a voice that's sarcastic and apathetic all in one. He takes my hand and kisses it gently over the table.  
>"Yes, because, to put it bluntly, ever since the spring gala I haven't been able to stop thinking about you in that beautiful violet gown. You still leave me breathless every time I think about it."<p>

I flush at this. What do I say? What do I do? This is definitely not something I expected from Kyoya. What is this...new person? Is it just me? Is this a front? Or is it...that he treats me special?

No, no, don't get ahead of yourself, Maria. Just calm down and think rationally. What would the normal you do in this situation? What would the normal, calm, intelligent, witty part of you say?

"Well, it seems you're still breathing. I guess that's a good sign, if what you said is true." I say, giving him a smirk. He just chuckles.  
>"Always sarcasm with you. Use it too much and I'll be forced to think that you use it to hide things from me." I blink and then stare at him through half-lidded eyes, my head in my hand, my elbow on the table.<p>

Yes, I'm trying to be seductive. Just leave me to my attempts, alright?

"And if it's true?" I ask him. He leans forward and mimics what I'm doing.  
>"Just another puzzle for me to solve, nothing more. I've become quite good at it, in fact. After all, I have managed to successfully grab your attention. For a while I was beginning to wonder if you were always going to hold some kind of grudge against me." I laugh. He's even mimicking me in my speech, or at least, in that moment he was.<br>"You bring it on yourself, Kyoya. After all, when I first met you, I honestly thought you were nothing except crooked and dishonest. Always getting with the good and dumping the bad." I confess. He shrugs.  
>"Well, it's certainly true." He admits, his face returning to something a little more stoic, a little more normal.<br>"Yes, but there's more to you. So much more. And that's what got _my_ attention. You know so much about everyone else yet keep as much about yourself and your family hidden from others. I still want to know why. I'm still trying to figure it out. But regardless of that, I feel that there's just...something about you that drew me to you. I couldn't just ignore what I felt. But it was like we connected in some way. So of course, curiosity got the best of me and...well, here we are." I say, fidgeting with the empty wine glass with the hand that's not occupied while speaking. Fidgeting stimulates my thoughts and relaxes me. It's what happens when you're a painter. Your hands always want to be busy.

"It almost sounds like you have done your fair share of analysis on me, Maria." I smile.  
>"Yeah, well...I'm an artist. I tend to notice the details first before seeing the big picture." I say, and he chuckles in response to this.<br>"And that, I think, is one of the few things we have in common. Similar though we are, I find myself a little more reserved than you are at times." I nod.  
>"I've always been a bit emotional and quite a hothead. As much as I try to hide it, it's the truth no matter how you look at it." His hand comes to hold mine across the table, and though I look at it for a moment, his eyes bring me back up to gaze at him.<br>"Why try to hide it? Though your negative emotions may affect those around you in a darker light, certainly the positive ones will help bring out the best in others. I've found that to be quite true, especially when it comes to you." He says, kissing my hand yet again. I manage a shy smile at this.  
>"Well, growing up with my father, showing emotion meant showing weakness. I didn't want to be weak or helpless. I only ever wanted to be strong. I'm the oldest child, and I've always worked the hardest and been the first one to do everything...I'm the one everyone leans on. I want to be that rock for my sisters and my family. I want to be the shoulder to cry on for my friends and the people I care about." I say softly. He caresses the top of my hand softly.<br>"Yes, but you also need to have someone who does all of those things for you. No one is impervious, least of all you. Someone who supports so many others needs another person to support them." I smile and nod.  
>"But hey, that's what I've got you for, right?" I ask him, and he chuckles.<br>"I certainly hope it turns out that way." He says as our meal arrives.

Why did I ever think at one point in my life that I was going to be forever alone? Kyoya is...he's really a thoughtful and amazing person. I can't help but trust him because he is sincere.

Where the hell have you been all of my life? That's all I can manage to think when it comes to you, Kyoya. Where have you been and why didn't I meet you sooner?

As much as I hate to believe in such metaphysical and superstitious things...I really think it was a stroke of luck, a whim of fate, that brought me here. It must be, otherwise I would never be doing what I'm doing now. I just hope that it continues on like this and doesn't stop. I've worked too hard in my life to have everything come crashing down on me. The last thing I need is an end to the good and a reintroduction to the bad.

I guess we'll just have to see what the future brings, won't we?

* * *

><p>As we climb the steps to my apartment, I'm laughing hysterically.<p>

"I can't believe Tamaki actually made you take him all over Japan! Are you kidding me? I would have killed him!" I say, and he chuckles as I regain my breath.  
>"I nearly did. He tested the limits of my tolerance at that stage of our lives. Now I've become used to the idiocy." I laugh a little more, then sigh and concentrate on walking.<br>"Yes, but you freaked out on him. I can't imagine you doing something that uncouth and wild. I don't see you as the type to lose your cool." He pulls me close and rubs my back.  
>"Sometimes, my dear, even the best of lose it. It just depends on who it is that's pushing our buttons." He says, and I nod. He embraces me, and I do the same. We stand there like that for a moment...and I really like it. He smells amazing as usual, and his arms are particularly warm and inviting tonight. Dinner was amazing, and I'm full and happy. However, my heart is racing, and I can feel that his is racing as well. What is he thinking right now? Is being near me just as nerve-wracking for him as it is for me when he's this close to me?<p>

He pulls away and runs a hand over my face. He has this look in his eyes...what are you thinking right now, Kyoya?

His hand gently cups my cheek, and of course, my heart rate speeds up and my stomach is doing flips. This is attempt number two...and I have to think about this one. I don't want to think about it, just let it happen, but...I'm scared. If he kisses me...he's going to ask me out. If I back out of it, then I can escape with more time to spare.

As much as I like this guy, I don't care what Tori says. I don't want to deal with my past yet. I just...can't. As safe as I could be with Kyoya, I'm just not ready yet.

But...his eyes, they...they're saying something. What are they saying?

He leans forward, and my hands run up his chest to his shoulders. I'm going to push him away, but...

As I feel his breath on my lips, I feel myself gasp a little. He leans in a little quicker, but just as his lips graze mine, I turn away. He kisses my cheek a couple of times, then my jaw.

"...Maria, what did he do to you?" I hear him whisper as he leans closer to me.  
>"...Kyoya, I...he just...I-I...I'm so sorry. I just...don't feel comfortable talking about it yet." I say, looking him in the eyes. I try to say sorry with them, and I hope it comes across. He sighs.<br>"I understand. I just...want to know. Forgive me for prying." I shake my head.  
>"I understand that you want to know Kyoya, and in time you will. Just...not right now. Believe me, when I'm ready to talk...you're the first person I'll tell. Until then, things have to stay the way they are now. Okay?" He looks at me, a little surprised. But then his face softens and he nods. He clears his throat and lets his face go stoic.<br>"I suppose I'll bid you good night, Maria. Thank you for allowing me to take you out tonight. It was a nice way to see you again." I smile.  
>"Thank you for taking me out. You certainly didn't have to." I say, leaning in and giving him a small kiss on the cheek. I turn and open my door and walk in, closing it, my face red hot. I didn't want him to see the embarrassment on my face.<p>

I walk back into my room, strip to my pj's, and almost as soon as I'm done taking off my jewelry Tori walks into my room. She's got a look on her face that tells me she's a little upset.

"So, how was your date?" She asks, and I nod to her.  
>"It was fine. We just talked a lot. About nothing, really." I say, and she gives me a look. I look back at her.<br>"What?"  
>"I saw what you pulled. I feel so sorry for Kyoya. You won't even kiss him? A good-looking guy wants to kiss you and you say no? Are you crazy? Do you know how many girls at Ouran would give their left arm just to do that? And here you sit pushing him away. What is wrong with you?" I look away from her, removing my makeup and ignoring her. I don't want to hear it.<br>"Tori, I did what I was comfortable with, okay? I'm not going to sit here and force myself to be so uncomfortable just because you think I'm doing something wrong. Whatever I do in my relationship doesn't involve you, okay? So...stop interfering." I say, standing and shutting off my light. I close my door and crawl in bed, snuggling with Ginger and wanting to fall asleep. I sigh, looking up at the ceiling.

I remember what it felt like, being in his arms, being pressed so close to him, feeling his body heat radiate with mine...it was bliss. And now I regret not letting him kiss me. Before the date I wouldn't have minded, and during it I wouldn't, but as it came to an end I just...chickened out. I got scared. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself.

God, as much as I hate to say it, I really am nothing but a tease sometimes. Poor Kyoya. He's going to go through so much crap just to be with me. I feel so bad for him.

* * *

><p><strong>Aww, poor Kyoya. And poor Maria. Those two are never going to get a break. You'd think I'd make things easy now that they're interested in each other and they know it. All I have to say is: hell naw. Because relationships are never easy. :P<strong>

**Thank you all so much and later days!**

**~B-chan**


	30. Misunderstandings, Again?

**Alright my lovelies! Here comes another landmark chapter...chapter 30!**

**So, I have many people to thank. First, I would like to thank EowynAhsokaLover for her awesome six reviews! She had to catch up and contributed to the astronomical review count this story has received (a whopping 90, YAY!) and I love her so much for it. I would also like to thank Miss Random Person XD, LunarMagick, Half-Angel-Writer, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, EbonyPrincess22, and AhhMyLife for their reviews as well. Let's see...that makes...12 more reviews total! You guys don't know how happy that has made me. Ten more reviews and I get to 100! I am literally jumping up and down right now!**

**I know it seems like FOREVER since I updated, but yesterday I didn't get my computer back AT ALL and I'm so behind with a freakin' writer's block...I will push through, one sentence at a time. Since that's all I seem to be able to write in one sitting, I have a feeling it's going to be a while...**

**Oh! I can't forget to thank those favorited/alerted this story. Thanks so much to HelloBetty and lizbethFREAKINGpaige for doing that so late in the game, it means so much to me! Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!**

**So...hopefully you won't hate me for what I do to Kyoya and Maria in this chapter...if you thought of them being angry before, well...this is a whole different thing. I hope you enjoy it!**

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><p><em>{One and a half weeks later, Classroom 2-A}<em>

"Mari-chan! I have something I want to ask you..." I look up at one of the girls from my class. She's beaming at me, holding something in her hands and clasping it against her chest. I smile at her, seeing as she's one of the regular girls who comes to the host club to talk to me and watch me paint.  
>"Sure, what is it?" I ask her, sitting back in my seat. Today is a good day because for the past week I've been able to wear really stylish clothes, more stylish than normal. I haven't had to paint in so long, and honestly it feels good to buckle down and get some book work done. I've almost completely caught up thanks to the weekend and my skipping school to catch up on homework. It hasn't really harmed my grades and, in fact, my number two spot still remains untouched. If anything I'm pulling away from the third more and more as the weeks go on.<p>

Take that, Tamaki. But, I digress.

Back to the girl, she beams at me and hands me the tablet she's holding. On it I see a million photos of Kyoya.

Okay, not _that_ many, but there sure is a whole bunch. She must be a Kyoya fangirl. Oh boy, here we go.

"You're close to Kyoya, right?" I nod to her, and she beams with a blush.  
>"Do you think you could do a painting for me? I'd even pay you...I want one to hang on my wall. If that's okay..." I think about it for a moment, a little wary. It's clear she's borderline obsessed with him, and though I don't think he would really mind all that much, I'd still like to consult him about it.<br>"Well, I would be happy to. But I need to ask Kyoya first." She blushes and furiously shakes her head.  
>"No! No, you can't tell him. Please, Maria, I'll pay you anything, I just...I really want a painting. You do such a good job..." She's stroking my ego a bit, and as humble as I normally am...she's got me. And it would be great to paint him again, anyway. I don't really mind doing it all that much.<p>

"Okay, I suppose that would be fine. Any particular way you want the painting done?" She shakes her head.  
>"Anything is fine. I don't mind as long as I get the painting." She says, and I nod. I hand back her tablet, but she pushes it back to me.<br>"Use it as a reference. Just...make sure you get it done quickly, alright?" I nod, and then she goes to sit down. I flip the tablet closed and slip it into my school briefcase. I'll start on it tomorrow.

I can't believe it's been so long since I've been to school. I've caught up on most of my homework, but school feels so weird to me. I go to class for half of the day, and then head straight to the art room. I decide that my curiosity has gotten the best of me, and I have to see just what this girl is all about. A Kyoya fangirl? Not at all surprising. In fact, it's quite predictable. He may be Vice President and may not host that often at the club, but I know for a fact that half of the customers who come to see me only come to get some dirt on Kyoya.

Of which I'm only to happy to dish out for them...if I had any dirt to talk about.

I'm sure they want to be close in case things start to come out into the open. Won't they be surprised if I start dating said host? That would really cause an uproar.

* * *

><p>I get to the art room and sit down at one of the long stone tables. It's covered in permanent marker, crayon, oil pastel stains, paint stains, and hardened clay. The typical result of furniture placed in an art room. I lay the tablet on the table and start to flip through it. No one is around, so I don't have to worry about someone sneaking up behind me to stare over my shoulder.<p>

I come to the first page, and it's nothing but hearts and flowers and pictures of Kyoya...though he's a lot younger and a lot shorter. And he's wearing a different uniform. This must be when he was in middle school.

Even as a 13 year old he's still really cute. I can't help but smile as I look at the pictures.

Then, I get to the next page, and I see a piece of stationary taped to the page. It's pink and worn a bit at the edges, meaning it's been handled a lot and seen some wear and tear. It looks like a love note, seeing as it's addressed to Kyoya, and it's covered in hearts.

I start to read it.

_My dearest Kyoya,_

_You have been the love of my life. Ever since I met you in elementary school I have been in love with you. Please, won't you go out with me? I love you so much and swear to you my undying devotion. You're perfect and amazing. You're so cool and awesome and I just love you so so so so so so much!_

_Please, please go out with me. I'll always be loyal to you and only you._

_All my love and deepest devotion,_

_Hina_

I can't help snickering at this. This has got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever read. Are you kidding me? You were 13 and you wrote this...drivel? That's the only proper word to describe this foul thing in front of me.

I turn the page, and again I'm assaulted with pictures of Kyoya. I notice a trend as I continue to look through it. It seems that she's got a page for every year, and a confession as well. Meaning either she never delivered the letters or continued to get rejected. In all honesty, with Kyoya in the picture, she probably got rejected.

Still, the pictures are really good. It's easy to see she's devoted herself to him. But it's sickening. I don't know whether to think it's sweet or just to throw up all over the floor. This is disgusting but hilarious. But alas, I can't encourage her, because I'm the one he's interested in.

And there's no way I'm letting her move in on my territory. Sorry, but even though we aren't dating, hun, he's mine. Paws off.

I put away the tablet before my stomach decides to lurch again and start to think about what I should paint. Should I do what I did with Fuyumi and just be subtle about it? Or should I ask him to pose for me?

If he gets even the slightest inkling as to who commissioned me and why, he'll probably either shoot me or force me to deny her. If she's as obnoxious as she sounds in her letters, then...well, I can't say I blame him for being disgusted and paranoid.

Ah, well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask him. It's not like it would hurt...the worst he could say was no...

Nah, I'll just do what I did before. It was so much easier. If he happens to see it, I'll just tell him it's a commission from a fan that wants to maintain her anonymity. Surely he'll buy that.

...Are you kidding? He'll still ask. But I won't tell. I'll try my best, Hina, but...I can't guarantee you'll get your painting. Plus I still have a little bit of homework left to do before exams the week after next. It's just going to depend upon how things go the rest of the week. I already said I'm not going to the club until tomorrow, so meanwhile I can finish up the homework I have left tonight.

With that thought in mind I leave school early and head home to do just as I've planned.

_{The following Monday...}_

I'm standing in the corner of music room three, a canvas set up on my easel, and I'm waiting for Kyoya to do something that makes him stationary for at least twenty minutes. I watch him slightly as he paces around the room, checking out how the other hosts are doing and making sure everything is going alright.

Damn you, sit still somewhere! Or stand! Either way, I don't care, but hurry it up and do it so I can get it done!

When he finally manages to stop for a long period of time, I whip out the brush and start doing a quick outline. I finish it in the nick of time, too, because as soon as the details are finished he stands up again. Except this time he's walking toward me.

I manage to look up and subtly slide the canvas cover over the outline. He walks up next to me and smiles one of those host smiles.

"It's good to see you back here, Maria. Though I must say your choice of attire hasn't changed in the least." I shrug at this.  
>"I'm a painter. I can't be painting in a blouse and a skirt. It doesn't work that way." He chuckles.<br>"I know that, my dear. I'm simply stating the obvious. It's good to know little has changed since you left." I nod, smiling.  
>"Speaking of being here...I actually have to make it back to the art room to finish this painting. Once it's done I don't have to do any more until November, which is nice since we have fall exams and whatnot." I say, gathering my things and starting to leave. Kyoya stops me, looks around and, when he's sure no one's watching, leans down and kisses my cheek gently.<br>"Don't stay too late." He says, and I nod with a small blush, making a swift escape.

When I get to the art room, I set my things up and start to paint. I get lost for a while, but then my art teacher walks in and smiles.

"I haven't seen you here in a while! Come, there's something I need to show you. It will only take a minute." I nod.  
>"I need to let this set a it, anyway. Where are we going?"<br>"The first art room, where my office is." He says, and I follow him out of the door.

* * *

><p>Kyoya walks into the third art room and, not seeing Maria anywhere, decides to go looking for her. But when he sees the easel in the middle of the room, his curiosity is piqued and he feels the need to take a brief glance. He walks into the room and walks over to the painting, only to be thoroughly shocked by what he sees.<p>

She's painting a portrait of him. He's sitting on one of the nice couches, writing in his notebook. She's captured him at the perfect time, completely composed but unaware of anything except the book in front of him. It's only half done, seeing as everything is solid and there is no layering or shading of any sort. But her unmistakable insignia is in the corner, though illegible. It's Maria's painting.

Why would she be painting him? Out of enjoyment? Or is she actually doing this for someone else?

He's blown away by the detail. From the shape of his jaw to the knit in his brow and the contours of all of the sofas and tables. The floor looks very much like it should; flat, geometric, unimaginative.

It's wonderful. She must be a fast worker if she can get so much done in the span of an hour.

* * *

><p>"...Hey! Kyoya, what are you doing here?" I shout as I walk back into the art room. He's staring at my painting!<br>"Maria, who is this for?" He asks, and I swallow a huge lump in my throat.  
>"...It's for a girl." I say, and he cocks an eyebrow.<br>"That's very vague. What sort of girl is she? A fan? An admirer?" He asks, and I sigh.  
>"A fan. A huge, obsessive fan who's paying me a lot of money to do what you're seeing on the canvas. It's not done yet, of course, but that's the story." I say. He eyes me.<br>"And who is this fan?" I shake my head.  
>"She wants to remain anonymous. So I'm not going to tell you." I say, which causes his eyes to narrow.<br>"Maria, who is she?" I shake my head as I assemble my paints again to start painting again.  
>"Not telling, hun, sorry. I said I was going to keep her name anonymous, and that's what I plan to do." I say, and he pinches the bridge of his nose.<br>"The only person who would do this is Hina. It must be her. No one else would ask for something like this." He says, looking at me. I make my face betray nothing.  
>"She's going to be anonymous for now and forever. I promised and I'm not going back on my word." I say, blending some colors to create a shade, then start to shade an area and give it depth. That way it doesn't look flat and boring, but more like a photograph that's three dimensional and realistic.<p>

He stands there for Lord know how long, and I don't really mind. I was always nervous before when I thought about what someone would think if I painted them, but seeing as he didn't give me a weird look over it, I must not being doing too bad of a job. That or he doesn't want to hurt my feelings and is keeping his mouth shut out of courtesy.

I pull the canvas cover over it some time later and start to wash up for the day. I bustle about the art room, and when I'm done, start to leave. Kyoya is right behind me.

"Did she say why she wanted to remain anonymous?" I give him a look over my glasses, which happen to have a tiny paint spot in one corner of the right lens.  
>"Kyoya, just drop it, alright? I mean, really? It's not that big of a deal. It's just a painting." I say, making my way through the hallways and out of the school. He's really not going to drop this, is he?<p>

As I leave school he's managed to stop following me. In fact, he's completely disappeared. Figures. He probably went back to the club or something. I need to make it home and finish some more homework, anyway.

_{Next Day}_

After school lets out, I have Hina follow me to the art room. I finished the painting during my studio hours in the afternoon, so now all that's left is to give it to her. She's bubbly, bouncy, and ecstatic to be receiving it. Whatever, as long as it gets her off of my tail, I could really care less.

I open the door and uncover the painting, showing it to her. She squeals, throws a fit for a few minutes, and when she calms down she hands over a check. She then covers the painting and takes it with her. I slip the check into my bag and stretch, deciding to leave and go home to relax for a while. I haven't been able to do that in a while.

When I get to school the next day, however, I feel an ominous presence in my classroom. I look around and see that everyone is whispering about something. Whatever, not my problem. I go and sit down at my desk and start to flip through Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but I don't get too far in when I'm interrupted by someone.

"...Maria?" I look up at Hina, who seems upset. I smile at her.  
>"What's the matter, Hina? Why the long face?" She glances over to another part of the room, then back at me.<br>"...I don't know, but everyone is really mad at me. I don't get it...I didn't do anything to anyone!" I cock an eyebrow.  
>"Really? Well that's weird. I don't know why they would be mad at you, either." She sighs.<br>"I think...I think it's because of the painting you did for me." I sigh at this.  
>"Think so?" She nods.<br>"Why do you say that?" She leans closer to me and lowers her voice.  
>"I think some of the girls are really jealous of me. Plus Kyoya seems to be in a really bad mood toward everyone...I think it's my fault. You didn't tell him anything, did you?" I shake my head.<br>"I gave you my word, Hina. I wasn't going to go back on it." I say, and she smiles.  
>"That's good. I guess...I don't know. Hopefully it blows over soon." I nod as she leaves my desk, and I turn back to my book.<p>

"So tell me, is it your habit to keep secrets?" I turn to my right, where Kyoya's sitting in his desk, staring at me stoically. I give him a look.  
>"If I give someone my word then I mean it. I'm not going to go back on it. You can be mad at me, but I'm still not going to change my mind." I say, and looks away from me.<br>"I see. Funny how you have to keep secrets even from me." I put down my book.  
>"Because it involves you, dumbass. Do you think I'm going to just tell you everything? If so, you're mistaken." I say, glaring at him. He's being a jerk. Who shoved the stick up his ass?<br>"I would think you would be able to trust me with something like that. Especially when it does involve me."  
>"Kyoya, drop it, alright? It's just a painting, and it was once. Do you really need to get so bent out of shape because of it? It's not a big deal. Besides, you probably already know by now anyway, so I don't see why you're getting so upset over this." I see him clench his fist, but he doesn't say anything.<p>

What the hell is up with him? What happened to him?

I roll my eyes and turn back to my book.

"I see my presence in your life has little influence. It would have been nice to know that before I told you how I felt about you. That way I could have avoided doing something so stupid." He gets up and leaves, and my mouth falls open. He hadn't said it very loud—only loud enough so I could hear—but the impact was large.

Did he really just say that to me?

It...really hurt. Why would he be such a jerk?

Is it stress from studying for exams? Or is this whole thing with Hina really that upsetting to him?

I don't understand. Why would he do that? Why would he say that? After all the crap I went through to make sure things are okay, he has to fuck it up with his own issues?

Dammit, Kyoya, you really are an idiot. You can't say something like that to the girl who said she likes you and expect her not to get angry and upset.

Well I've got news for you. I don't need you. If you're going to be a jerk, then do it on your own time.

* * *

><p><strong>Eesh...man, those two, I swear...are they ever going to get along for longer than a handful of chapters?<strong>

**I have a question for you guys as my readers. It doesn't really change the story all that much by answering, but my sister brought up an interesting point. I make Kyoya out to the be the one who takes initiative in this story when it comes to his relationship with Maria, and Tori has told me that Kyoya is NEVER the initiator, always the reciprocator. So my question to you is, would it be completely out of character if I made Kyoya be an initiator? It got me thinking, so I want your honest opinions! I wanted to make Kyoya the initiator simply because he's ALWAYS portrayed as the reciprocator in fanfics, which I found totally cliche. I wanted to do something different but I don't want it to turn out where it just doesn't make sense...so I'd like to know what you guys think. Please?**

**You guys are always giving me your thoughts and I'm so happy that you have such wonderful things to say. So I look forward to your responses!**

**Thank you so much, I love you all, and happy 2012 everyone! (It's safe to say that now that it's January 2nd in America, right? Then it's 2012 all over the world? Teehee :P)**

**~B-chan**


	31. Halloween Horror: Relapse Part 1

**Hello, my darling readers!**

**So, of course, I must thank my reviewers and respond! Thanks so much to AhhMyLife, EbonyPrincess22, Half-Angel-Writer, EowynAhsokaLover, Akemi Tatsuyoshi and radioactivepenguin13 for reviewing. Thanks so much and I'm so glad you all love this story! 3 3 3**

**I also can't forget to thank AllyraMortlock for favoriting this story. Thanks so much, hun! I really appreciate it!**

**And so, for my responses!**

**_Michie (radioactivepenguin13)_: Thanks so much for saying so, I'm glad to know that you've stuck with me from the beginning. Better now than never, eh? And thank you for your feedback, it was nice to hear that someone was alright with my decisions, hehe! :D**

**_Akemi Tatsuyoshi_: THANK YOU! That's why I decided to take this a different direction because unfortunately, as is the case with many stories involving OC's and Kyoya, too often you run into the issues of Mary Sues, and I gave up writing those a long time ago when I came to the realization that my characters were just that. I thought that if I wrote outside my comfort zone it would push me as a writer, and this is definitely the direction to take it. Thank you for the support and the wonderful feedback, as always! :D**

**_EbonyPrincess22_: I do live in America! I live in the Las Vegas area, actually. I guess it did sound like I wasn't from there, but I am. I have readers all the way from Singapore and all over the world, that's why I put what I did at the end of the last chapter. I'm sorry to have confused you! And yes, I agree wholeheartedly with what you said. Relationships build with trust and getting to know each other as well as being comfortable enough in your own skin to say that you like yourself as well as another person. Because in a relationship it's not right to love someone else but not yourself. Just my point of view on things, teehee :P**

**_Half-Angel-Writer_: I loved your response the most. You were so thorough and you understand EXACTLY what it is I was thinking. I'm glad that you saw where I was wanting to take this story. You don't know how happy you made me with your response. No, it doesn't make you look like an idiot saying what you did, because it totally makes sense. And thank you for the pep talk, and I'll let you know if there's anyone that I need you to take care of for me when I get a flame...if I ever get one. I hope I don't but...you never know! :D**

**_AhhMyLife_: Yes, I agree. Kyoya is the man and yes, we were talking about the same thing. Teehee :P**

**_EowynAhsokaLover_: It is nice to be loved, I agree. I agree that I have read some stories where Kyoya is the initiator, but sadly all I was was disappointed because some of them take him so out of his context and character and make him out to be either some absolute devil or completely wishy washy. And I don't like either. I read one that sticks in my mind that I like, but it's pure smut. Still, it keeps him really in character, and for the life of me I can't seem to remember what it was. Back on my subject, I'm trying my hardest (and believe me, it ain't easy) to keep Kyoya as in character with his relationship with Maria as possible, just because I believe he deserves justice, being the person he is. I personally believe that Kyoya is an extremely ambitious person, but selfishness is not a quality I've seen to much of. I thought it would be nice to throw some of it in there and see where it takes us. :D**

**So that's the end of them! You guys gave me great feedback and I'm so happy!**

**Now, the reason it's taken me a bit of time to get this chapter out is because we get the first part of what happened in Maria's past, and how her relationship between Kyoya is going to develop from there. This gives you a glimpse into her mind and what happened in her past to make her the way she is. I myself experienced something like this when I was a freshman in high school, and so this was just as painful for me to write as I'm sure it's going to be for you guys to read. Maria, for all of her difficult, stubborn, and clueless qualities, is loveable and kind and sweet. You will hate what happens here, but then in the next chapter you will adore what happens between her and Kyoya. I hope you all enjoy! And be wary of the harsh language in here. Just FYI. This story is rated M for a reason!**

* * *

><p>The next week and some was hell for everyone in the host club and in Class 2-A. No one could figure out why suddenly Maria and Kyoya seemed to be ignoring and hating each other, but it was enough to get under everyone's skin. Maria was never one to be subtle, so her anger was normally outspoken and very blatant. Meanwhile Kyoya was able to slide in remarks here and there about her, and she would get angry and leave.<p>

It made hell for those who were close to them.

Maria would go home and Tori would inquire, but her sister would never budge. She was solid as a rock against anyone who tried to ask about anything Kyoya said to her. She was not going to be bothered by whatever it was that was bothering him. If he was going to be a jerk, then let him. She wasn't going to be a part of that.

Through exams week everyone was on edge because of what was going on. When exam week was over, no one felt like they could relax around these two. They seemed to just be angry at each other. Eventually, they quit speaking to one another altogether, and everyone around them thought that the budding romance was all but finished. Worried about her sister, Tori decided that it was time for them to reconcile and make peace with one another. However, when she mentioned it, Maria was adamantly against it.

"I'm not going to apologize for something I didn't do. I didn't start this, after all. He's being ignorant and idiotic. Not my problem. If he was ever sincere about being with me, he'll come and apologize to me when he pulls the stick out of his ass."

And she left it simply at that.

But little did everyone know that the two of them were, in fact, missing each other and angry at themselves. It was only a matter of time before one of them would cave, though it was unclear as to who would be the first to do so. Then, the week of Halloween comes, and it seems as if the Host Club is doing good business as usual. However, the entire club feels empty without Maria there, since she refuses to show up if Kyoya is present. Which he always is, hence making her refuse to even step foot in the music hallway.

Her sister and Tamaki, caught in the middle of this idiocy, don't know what to do.

"My dear princess is nowhere to be found. I never see her beautiful face grace this room. Such tragedy has befallen the host club! We have lost our dear princess!" Tori rolls her eyes, but puts her head in her hands.  
>"Tamaki, Maria's fine. She's been busy studying for exams. But now that they're over she still refuses to come to the club. We have to do something to get her and Kyoya back together. I can't believe that the two of them would be fighting now. It just didn't seem possible." Tamaki turns to Tori.<br>"What do you mean, my dear?" He asks her, and she smiles.  
>"Well, Kyoya recently took her out on her first date ever, and things went over pretty well. They were all happy and everything...just completely mushy. It was so cute! But then...something must have happened to set him off. From what Maria said, Kyoya got angry for no real reason and said some really mean things to her." Tamaki sighs, watching Tori's face turn from happy to sad as she explains the situation. He had noticed, too, that their classroom atmosphere had been less than desirable the past few days.<br>"My dear, don't you worry. I will console Mommy and he will be all better in no time! So tell you sister not to worry. I will have Kyoya coming back to her!"

And so, time goes on. The Monday before Halloween, the host club dresses up early for Halloween. Each and every one of them puts on a vampire costume.

That is, everyone except Hikaru, Kaoru, Tori, and Haruhi.

"You guys are late! Hurry it up and get changed!" Tamaki says, but the twins shake their heads.  
>"Sorry boss, but this week—" Hikaru starts<br>"Count us out!" Kaoru finishes.  
>"What, why? Not all four of you, certainly!" The twins nod, and Tori comes forward.<br>"Tamaki, our class is going to be busy with our own Halloween festivities. So we're going to be unavailable." Tori explains to him, which only makes him sadder.  
>"Duty calls, then." Kyoya says softly, as Honey-sempai comes forward.<br>"But, but...Tori-chan! You're not going to eat cake with me?" She shakes her head with a sad smile.  
>"Not this week, Honey-sempai. Sorry." The small host pouts, but says nothing else.<p>

"Wait! You're not taking Haruhi with you, are you?" Tamaki asks.  
>"Well, boss, she is in our class."<br>"And the special event for our festivities...is an after-dark test-of-courage tournament!" The twins say.

Needless to say, this upsets Tamaki. Greatly.

"Haruhi, you're not going to take part in this, are you? For decency's sake, tell me you won't!" He cries at the young host as his brain theater plays back a highly unlikely scenario involving Haruhi, the twins, and her getting scared enough to cling to one of them.  
>"Calm down, sempai, it's just some harmless fun." She says. This further upsets the King.<br>"Harmless? She thinks it's harmless!" He says to himself dramatically. Then, he grips the front of Haruhi's jacket.  
>"You won't go. You can't. Daddy doesn't like it!" Tamaki proclaims. Tori has averted her gaze, knowing that Tamaki's obsessiveness over Haruhi upsets her.<br>"Okay, time to go now!" Hikaru says, Tori, Haruhi, and Kaoru following suit.  
>"Boss, adieu!" Both twins says. But Tamaki charges forward.<br>"Wait! I could be a valuable asset to the planning committee! Please, let me come too!" Tamaki shouts as they leave, and a creepy laugh sounds throughout the room. The face of Nekozawa and his puppet Belzenef comes into view as his creepy laugh continues. It sends shivers up Tamaki's spine as he addresses the leader of the Black Magic Club.

"Nekozawa-sempai, when did you—?"  
>"Now isn't this interesting. What was that? You think it sounds like fun, Belzenef? You may just be onto something, then." Nekozawa says to his puppet on his hand. He stays in the coffin he appeared from.<br>"If it's fear they want, the Black Magic Club will be happy to oblige! After all, what's Halloween without a healthy dose of pure, unadulterated terror?" And with that, there is more creepy laughter as the coffin closes, thus ending the creepy interlude between the club and Nekozawa.  
>"That's it, men! We must form our own team with the Black Magic Club! I will not allow my daughter to be scared out of her wits, only to cling to those shady twins! We must participate!"<p>

And with that decree, the Ouran High School Host Club registered for the test-of-courage tournament with the Black Magic Club. All players were to be present.

Which included a party that was unaware she was part of it. That is, until she was picked up Halloween night shortly after her sister had left.

* * *

><p>"...What are you guys doing here? I thought you were supposed to be participating in the test-of-courage tournament at school?" I ask them, obviously not very happy that they're here, since a certain someone happens to be with them.<br>"My dear princess, I have come to retrieve you from this lonely abode and take you with me to protect Haruhi and your sister from being scared by the ghouls of the night! We must rescue them!" I cock an eyebrow. This is actually a little bit entertaining even though I hate Halloween. Tamaki's reactions make for an interesting conversation. Nevertheless, dark places and I don't get along, so unfortunately for you, Tamaki, you will not be having my part in this.  
>"Sorry, Tamaki, but I'm not interested. Scaring people and dark places are really not my thing." I say, but he doesn't seem to hear me.<br>"Please, my princess, come with me! I beg of you!" I...find it hard to say no. He's practically begging me.

Scratch that, he's groveling. He is begging. I can't say no now. It would make me look so bad and so callous. Plus my sister is involved...I suppose it wouldn't hurt...

"Okay, fine, but you better not leave me alone, got it? I don't like dark places all by myself." He beams.  
>"That's alright! Kyoya will be with us, so everything will be just fine!" I grimace at this. No, then it will make things worse. I can't be weak even though the dark is absolutely terrifying to me. If Kyoya was to see the weakness he would exploit it and make things worse. I don't want that, not at all.<br>"Okay, so...let me go change. I will be right back." Seeing as I'm in my pj's, I change into some school clothes—mainly jeans and a shirt—and we're on our way.

However, I instantly regret this as we enter the school and find our place to start. It is dark, scary, creepy, and it takes all of my energy not to shake and shiver and whimper like a baby. It's so bad...this phobia is awful.

We get there and immediately Tamaki wants to take me on an adventure. Well, I don't really want to go anywhere, seeing as I'm scared out of my wits, but...well, I suppose I agreed to help him find Haruhi and my sister. So I guess I have to do it now.

"Mari-chan, my princess, are you ready to go?" I try not to look frightened, but then I notice that Kyoya's staring at me intently, his book open with his flashlight on it. I look away from him and nod.  
>"Let's go, Tamaki." I say, leaving the others standing there as I go with Tamaki.<p>

We climb some stairs and walk around for a very long time. For one moment I turn around and start to look around a corner, but when I turn back Tamaki is nowhere to be found.

"Um...Tamaki? Where are you? This isn't funny, you know. The object of the game is to scare others, not your teammates..." I say aloud. But I hear nothing. It's dead quiet out here, and it's nearly pitch black. Something is not right here. To say that I'm scared...wouldn't begin to cover it.  
>"Well, standing around will get nothing done. I have to find Tamaki." I say, noticing my voice is shaky. I start to walk around, climb another set of stairs, and then hear the clock tower ring. I see out of the window that the moon really isn't showing much light. I start to walk around a bit to try and locate Tamaki.<p>

_You're nothing. You're stupid...a waste of time and space._

I hear that voice and begin to shake. This can't seriously be happening right now. No way.

_You should die in here. But then I'd have the police on my trail. And I don't want to be a murderer._

Oh God, no! Please, not now. I knew this was going to happen...why didn't I say no?

_You're a useless cunt._

"Stop it...I didn't mean...I just...you said..." I hold my head. I'm seeing things...hearing things.

I put my back against a wall, sliding down and cowering in the same position I did two years ago. The same position, the same darkness...the same voice in my head, speaking to me.

The memories of what led up to that night started to play in my head. And suddenly, I was reliving the horror that plagued me.

* * *

><p><em>Sophomore year of high school, and yet again I am the new student. When is this ever going to end?<em>

_I go to first period, which is band, and set up the instrument I had gotten the day before when I'd come to register for classes. I'm sitting in the back next to the trombones and baritone saxophone. I play Euphonium, an instrument that's like a miniature tuba. I'm the only girl in the low brass as well as the only Euphonium player._

"_Hey! You must be the new girl. My name's John Lackney. What's yours?" I smile. He's really cute! And super nice too._  
>"<em>I'm Maria. Maria McMillan." I say, and he smiles.<em>  
>"<em>Maria. That's a really pretty name." He says, and I blush.<em>  
>"<em>How old are you?" He asks.<em>  
>"<em>I'm 16. You?" He smiles.<em>  
>"<em>I'm turning 16 next month. Guess we're not too far apart. What grade are you?"<em>  
>"<em>Sophomore."<em>  
>"<em>I'm a sophomore, too. You're old for your grade, aren't you?" I nod.<em>  
>"<em>Yeah, I am." I say, and he smiles.<em>  
>"<em>Your eyes are really pretty. Sorry if that's awkward but...I couldn't help noticing them." <em>

_From that day onward I was smitten with John. We were both in band and choir, and we did a whole lot of the same things. He started to treat me differently...pulling me into his lap at late night band practices, showering me with compliments, treating me as if I was the only thing that mattered to him. I really started to believe that he had fallen in love with me...and I thought I had fallen in love with him._

_Homecoming came at the end of October for us. Our band played at homecoming, and John was the star quarterback on the football team. We won our homecoming game and John carried me off of the field on his shoulders. For the first time in so long, I was happy and felt like I belonged._

_The next night was the celebratory homecoming dance. Our gym was packed with beautiful girls, but I seemed to be the only one John could focus on. We danced for a long time...things seemed perfect. He took me from the gym and led me away from the dance, to the other side of the school, where the other gym was. We walked together, hand in hand, and I really thought that this was going to be my moment. Things in my life were going to turn around for good. I would fall in love._

_Boy had I been wrong._

_He led me to the gym, and we wandered in it for a while. Then, suddenly, he opened one of the storage closets and pushed me into it._

"_You really are a stupid bitch, you know that?"_

_Those were the first words I heard. I was in utter shock. I couldn't focus on what he was saying, but I remember every word._

"_John...what's going on? What are you doing?"_  
>"<em>You're a stupid cunt. You really believe that I was interested in you?"<em>  
>"<em>I thought...I thought that you loved me. That's why you did all of those things, right?"<em>  
>"<em>I have a girlfriend, dumbass. Have had one since I was a freshman. But of course I didn't tell you that. No one did because we were all in on it."<em>  
>"<em>In on what?"<em>  
>"<em>You're the new girl, the outcast, and you were so gullible. We were bored. We hadn't found someone to pick on in a while. So, you were the target. And you fell for everything hook, line, and sinker."<em>  
>"<em>What? What do you mean?"<em>

"_You really think I could love a stupid, ignorant idiot like you? You're nothing but a waste of time and space."_  
>"<em>You fell for it, our trap. I pretended because everyone told me to. You have no idea how many people bet against me. But now, thanks to you, I've got more money in my pocket than I know what to do with."<em>  
>"<em>But...why? I didn't do anything to you!"<em>  
>"<em>Nah, you didn't. Actually, yes you did. You breathed. You continued to pursue me. You fell for everything I gave you. Did you love me? Of course you did. You know, I was completely sickened by you. You're fat, ugly, stupid...no one would miss you if you disappeared. In fact, it would be better if you did. No one loves you, and no one could love you."<em>

_No, that's not true._

"_You're an idiot, a waste of life. You should just die."_

_No, stop saying that. What did I do to you?_

"_I should just leave you in here. No one would miss you."_

_All I ever tried to do was love you!_

"Stop it, John...please, I didn't...I didn't do anything. All I did was love you...please, stop it...it hurts!" Maria says to herself out loud. She's in her head, cowering against the wall of the third floor. She's sitting in a crouched, vulnerable position.

He continued to say things in her head, and though in her memories she didn't do anything except cower and cry, her heart was screaming. That translated to the outside world.

And she screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm so horrible to Maria...so, so horrible...<strong>

**So heads up! The next chapter I publish is not going to be one on this story, but it's actually going be a little bit of a bio on myself and how I started and go about creating and editing this story. I thought you guys might like it, so I wrote it on a whim. If you don't really care, it doesn't bother me. You don't have to read it, but you can if you want. **

**Thanks so much to everyone and happy days to you all!**

**~B-chan**


	32. All About Your Author!

My Dear Readers and Lovely Wonderful Fans!

I decided to create a chapter telling you more about myself and my process for this story. I don't know about you guys, but when I read really good stories I always want to know what it is the author does to either make a good story or personify their characters.

So, I'll briefly explain my process. You see, Maria lives in my head. Literally. I talk to her, she yells at me, we argue, she stomps and cries and screams, the whole shabang. I'm not crazy, she just literally lives in my head. If I don't write, she yells at me to do so. She's the one who's helping me write everything that's going on with this story. So, what I write first is always very rough and basically just me getting my thoughts out on paper. When I'm done writing the passages (which can be anywhere from 2 to 40 pages, depending on how efficient I am at setting my thoughts to words on paper) I leave them for a day and then come back the next. I reread the passage, edit, and then transfer that passage (at the end of a chapter) into a separate chapter document. After that, it sits there waiting for yet another edit, which comes when I decide to update. In the cases where I am tons of pages ahead of what I'm publishing, I reread just the part I'm going to publish twice to make up for the difference. Then when I upload it to Fanfiction I reread it again and type my author's notes and format the chapter. I look for small grammatical errors and whatnot there and then publish the chapter under whatever chapter title I happen to pull out of my butt. Then, after that is all done, I go to the whole story and preview the chapter to check for even more mistakes, and if there are any, I correct them in the uploaded document and replace the old one with the new. Voila! There, my process is complete!

If that made absolutely no sense at all or you didn't care, that's totally okay with me! I'm publishing a chapter after this note anyway, so it's whatever works!

So, now to explain a little bit about myself and give you some parallel views of my life to Maria's. I don't mind sharing because it's not all that bad and I like to look back on it. It helps me remember everything I've gone through to get to where I'm at now.

So, I currently live in a suburb of Las Vegas, Nevada called Henderson. I attend UNLV as a freshman and I'm going into my second semester of college. My major for now is Pre-Professional Biology, but shortly it's going to be changed to a double major in Vocal and Instrumental Music Education. I write Maria as an artist, and though I do draw for fun from time to time and know my way around art pretty well, it's actually not what I do best. I've been singing since I was about five or six years old, and I'm classically trained. All through middle school and high school I was in choir. I joined band when I got to high school, and I play low brass. I play the euphonium and, given a little time to adjust, can also play the trumpet and the tuba. As a college student, sometimes during the year I have found myself with literally no time to do anything like writing, singing, reading or drawing. But I also have times where that's really the only thing going on for me. I do play piano, though I've only had one semester of training so far. I am a musician at heart and it truly is what I love to do more than anything. I'm an extremely expressive person, if you can't tell that already. My two favorite hobbies would have to be video games and writing. My career stuff is my fun stuff, so singing and playing my instrument are more important of course, but they don't qualify as hobbies. They are assets to my career, if you catch my drift.

I'm an avid otaku as well. I know very little Japanese at all, but I aspire to learn the language and the culture because my ultimate dream is to teach music in Japan and live there. I love Japan not only because of the richness in culture that exists there but also for better people. I just can't see myself marrying a man who isn't Oriental, just because their mannerisms are so much better than American men. Unfortunate and sad that I can't find happiness in America, but that's alright. I'm halfway to 19 already, but I'm just starting my life. So what's the rush? My career's more important anyway.

So...that's about the gist of it. The parallels in my life to Maria's are simply this: I have a sister named Tori and a sister named Anna, with two n's. I can't really stand my father in real life, though for Maria it is more extreme, and my relationship with my mother is excellent, which is what I also share with Maria. Maria is my age simply because it was easier to write things that way, for me anyway. When I was 16 I was not a good person, and I've only matured because of the experiences college has brought me.

This story was inspired one day when I took Ouran off of my DVD shelf and watched it all the way through for the first time in years. I forgot how in love with Kyoya I was, how enamored of his very essence and being I was, and I'm not afraid to admit that I'm obsessed with him. I mean, half the time when I'm writing something lovey between him and Maria I have him sitting in the back of my head editing my writing so that it sounds like him. He lives in my head and, one day, I'm going to marry someone who is like him. Filthy rich or not, doesn't really matter, it's more the personality and goals and mannerisms of Kyoya that I value more than his drop dead gorgeous looks and astronomical wealth.

So I really am just another obsessive fan. I just try not to be so expressive with it. I'm a conservative addict. That's what I call it. Tori, my sister, is OBSESSED with Tamaki. It's awful. I may have a picture of Kyoya as the background on my phone, but Tori squeals, giggles, and sighs every time she opens to the picture of Tamaki on her phone. I can only face-palm at it because I'm internally doing the same thing when I look at Kyoya's picture.

So yes...that's pretty much it. I wrote this just randomly because, like I said, my own inquiries in the past made me fell like I should express myself a little more. I like to be closer to my readers so that they know I write from my heart. Because that's really what I do.

So, I hope this was informative. If you don't like it, that's fine, you can just skip it. But for the curious I thought it would be cool to put this up along with the next chapter.

Much love and thanks from me to you!

~B-chan


	33. Halloween Horror: Relapse Part 2

**Hello, my darling readers!**

**So, I must thank my awesome reviewers! Thank you so much to AhhMyLife, radioactivepenguin13, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, intricate-bindings, and xXsasuhinaloverXx11 for your awesome reviews! Thank you guys so much for helping me reach over 100 reviews! I'm so freakin' happy! :D**

**Also, much thanks to xXsasuhinaloverXx11, Lumihiutale89 and LocaMonkey24 for favoriting/alerting this story. You guys make this author so happy, all of you!  
><strong>

**In the last chapter we got the personal glimpse into Maria's past. We saw what happened to her. Now, though I didn't go through something as exact as what Maria went through (it was a bit too painful to write my own story) I took that pain and rewrote something similar just so it wasn't so personal or so painful. But yes, when I was in high school I was the one everyone picked on and ridiculed. Until I was able to develop a thicker skin and stand up to people or brush them off, I did go through quite a bit of crap. But it's made me a better person and I know that not everyone is like that. High school is stupid, and though some people say it's the best years of your life, I beg to disagree. College brings some of the best things you could ever hope to imagine into your life.**

**So here we have part two...the part that will make you guys squeal, giggle, and so on. I'll leave it at that let you get to reading!**

* * *

><p>After having literally scared the crap out of the entire Class 1-A, team B, Nekozawa turns to Kyoya, who's leaning against the wall and still reading his book with his flashlight.<p>

"Kyoya, you're not joining in on the fun?"  
>"I am not." He says as he continues to focus on his book. He follows the others around, his nose in his book, not participating. However, he can't help noticing when Tamaki comes back that a key person is missing.<br>"Tamaki...where is Maria?" Kyoya asks, wary. It's dark and who knows what will happen if she's left all alone. He doesn't know to what extent her phobia goes, so leaving her alone could be really dangerous.  
>"She's right behind me! I...uh, well, she was. Where could she have gone?"<br>"You mean to say you left her behind with no regard for where she was?" Kyoya asks the blonde as he watches Haruhi cut away at the ropes holding her and Hikaru in the net. Tori comes down the hallway and sees Tamaki.

"Tamaki, there you are!" She says, walking over to him. He beams.  
>"Ah, there you are, my dear! I was wondering where you were. Tell me...have you seen Maria?" She looks at Tamaki, puzzled.<br>"What do you mean? My sister's at home. She hates Halloween." She says, which upsets the blonde host.  
>"But, but...I brought her here and we went looking for you together. But I lost her and now I don't know where she is!" Tori gets a look of pure horror on her face.<br>"Oh no. Tamaki, you idiot! You can't...you can't do that! We have to find her!"

And then, they heard it. An ear-splitting, bloodcurdling scream that rang throughout the entire school. It startled everyone and shook them to their bones. Various other screams of terror echoed from the others on campus, and Tamaki took off, scared. Kyoya had snapped his book shut. That voice was unmistakeable.

And then, there was another scream.

"Kyoya! Kyoya, please, I don't care why you're mad at my sister! I don't care if you two hate each other right now! You have to go find her!" Tori started to plead, and he gave her a look. He was beyond worried for Maria, but he wasn't going to let his ego show that.  
>"And why should I?" She started to scream at him as another cry rang out.<br>"You're an ass! I don't know where she is in this school and I don't know my way around! She needs someone to help her! Please, I'm begging you, go find her and calm her down! Do whatever it takes to get her to stop screaming and crying!"  
>"But—" And he was cut off by Tori.<br>"If you want to know so bad what it is that's in her past, you better go now, you idiot! You wanted to know so bad, and now is your time to find out! Get your ass moving before I kick it into gear for you, got it?" She says, taking off after Tamaki. Stunned, Kyoya slowly ascends the stairs, but once out of sight of anyone, breaks into a dead run across the school and up the stairs.

She screams again. More cries from the others. It sends shivers down his spine. They're sounds of pure terror...what could it be that's scaring her so bad?

He grits his teeth. He's an idiot. Why did he let Tamaki take off with her into the darkness? How come he didn't go with? He's let his ego get in the way and now she's screaming bloody murder, scaring the crap out of everyone else in the school and feeling who knows what. All alone in the darkness...he didn't realize how far her fear went. But right now, he has to get to her, and fast.

He climbs the stairs and finds her there at the top, cowering against the wall. He's breathing heavy but doesn't care. He goes over to her and kneels down to her.

"Maria, what's going on?" He says, moving closer to her.  
>"Please...please don't hurt me, I...I didn't do anything wrong!" She whimpers quietly.<br>"I know that. You didn't do anything wrong. Come on, let's get you out of here." He reaches for her, but nothing helps. She doesn't even move an inch.  
>"Please, John...I didn't do anything wrong. Please stop it! Don't hurt me anymore!"<p>

What the hell...who the hell was she talking to?

"Maria...come on, snap out of it. There's no one here by that name. It's just me." He says, reaching for her hands that are covering her face. But once he touches her she flinches and starts to cry.  
>"Stop it...please, don't come near me. Don't hurt me...I didn't do anything to you! I swear!"<br>"I won't hurt you, Maria. Please, calm down. No one is here. No one is going to hurt you."  
>"I loved you! Isn't that enough? Why are you hurting me? Please stop!" She begs, but he sees her eyes and sees that she's not even out of her own body. She's completely in her head.<br>"Maria, it's me. It's Kyoya. Come on, dammit, open your eyes and stop it! No one is going to hurt you...least of all me." He says softly, trying to coo to her and get her to stop crying and screaming. He reaches out for her, brushes his hand gently across her cheek.

The effect is immediately.

Suddenly arms have surrounded him and pulled him downward. She's laying on her back, clinging to him. He hisses through his teeth as her fingers dig into his back.

"Dammit, Maria, that hurts..." He says through clenched teeth, holding himself up, but she doesn't seem to hear him. She's shaking violently, so violently that her tremors are coming through in her voice as she sobs and carries on.  
>"Please, I only ever...wanted you to love me back. Please don't...don't hurt me anymore. Let me out of here...don't lock me in here. Please, John...I love you..." He's looming over her as she clings to him violently. It hurts—God, does it hurt—but she's shaking and crying so hard and won't let go.<p>

What did this boy do to her? What did he do to make her so...traumatized?

"Maria, listen to me. John isn't here. You're at Ouran, remember? You're here with me. No one is going to hurt you. Listen to me..." He whispers in her ear, and slowly her grip starts to loosen. Is he getting through to her?  
>"I'm not nothing...John, I...I have people who care about me...stop saying those things, please." She says softly, still trying to fend off her nightmares. Kyoya finally gets free from her grasp and sits up, surrounding her with his arms and holding her as she cries.<p>

He feels guilty...why did he get so upset over the fact that she doesn't get jealous over him? Why did he lash out at her and let his ego get in the way of apologizing to her? Why didn't he decide against Halloween and stay with her at home instead?

This never would have happened if he hadn't been such an ass to her. And now she's scared, frightened, and terrorized. No doubt she'd be in shock for a while. But at least she's stopped screaming and she's no longer talking out loud. She's quiet now, only sobbing slightly as she gently clings to him. He holds her, trying to make sure that nothing happens to her. She's scared, and needs someone to be there.

If he ever finds this boy, he'll kill him. He'll kill him and never think twice about it.

* * *

><p>Where the hell am I?<p>

I look around and notice that I'm at Ouran. When did I get here?

Oh, wait, I was here with Tamaki and got lost. That's right. It was Halloween...he wandered off and left me alone.

God, that was an awful nightmare. For a moment I really thought I was back in Iowa. I really thought that I was back in sophomore year and that I really had to relive that awful memory.

"Are you alright?" I hear Kyoya's voice. Where is he at? I turn my head to the left, and there he is, mere inches away from me.

He's holding me. Why?

"Kyoya...?" I ask, and he leans his forehead against mine.  
>"Finally." He says with a sigh.<br>"What's going on, Kyoya? Why are you here?" He sighs.  
>"Let's get you home first. We'll talk when we get there." He says, rising and pulling me up with him.<p>

What happened? Did I really...break down here at school?

Oh, God. Now I have to tell him everything. I would be stupid not to. I have no reason not to. If I was spouting stupid things and acting the way I normally do when I have a relapse...then I have a lot to explain.

Why did this have to happen now? Why did all of my monsters have to come out now? I'm not scared anymore...once I have a relapse, it's like waking up from a bad dream. You're a little unsure of where you are, a little scared, but it goes away rather quickly. Now I just feel guilty. He probably heard me spouting really crazy things, heard me saying things that made no sense...saw me acting like I'm completely crazy and a lunatic.

Why did this have to happen?

I don't know when we get in his car, or even when we get to my apartment. I just know we're there because I have to unlock the door. It's not dark, since I left all of the lights on when I left. The silence means that Tori isn't home yet. Good, I don't want her around anyway. I'd like to be left alone for a while...but Kyoya's here too. I have explaining to do, and after this I'm not even sure he's going to want to be with me. After all that's happened the last couple of weeks, and for Lord knows why, this is just going to be icing on the cake. He's going to think I'm weird, freaky, or maybe even think I'm making it up to get attention.

That's what people in my past have said when I told them what had happened to me. No one has really believed me outside of my family. Hence, why I don't tell anyone anymore. They won't believe me if I do. So now, I have to take a gamble with Kyoya.

I really don't want to lose him. I just hope he understands.

He takes my hand and leads me into the living room. We sit down on the couch, and I cross my arms and think for a moment. How am I going to do this?

"Maria, please tell me that you aren't going to try and hide this from me." I look at him, and he's got a look on his face that I haven't seen in a while.

He's concerned. It's the same look he gave me at the beach after I'd been assaulted.

I shake my head.

"I'd have to be completely stupid to think that I can just...hide this from you. After all, you're the one that found me." He sighs.  
>"What the hell was that?" He asks, breaking his stoic character for a moment. I avert my gaze, then sigh.<br>"It...was a relapse. A relapse of something that happened to me two years ago." I say, and he gives me a look that says to continue.

"I...promise me something, Kyoya. You have to promise me first before I'll tell you."  
>"What is it?" He asks, without even hesitating. That's a good sign.<br>"Whatever I tell you...you have to believe me, okay? I'm not making this up, and I'm not trying to get attention. This is real. It really happened to me." His hand touches mine gently and he shakes his head.  
>"There's no reason I shouldn't believe you. No one can fake something that traumatizing, no matter how good of an actor they are." He says.<p>

That makes me happy. Good, then I can continue. I squeeze his hand and start.

"Two years ago my family had recently moved to Iowa. I'd started school there and I was going to have to start life all over again. I was unhappy, alone...I just wanted to fit in. When I went to my first class of the first day I met a boy named John Lackney. He was so nice to me and from the beginning he seemed to be perfect. He showered me with compliments, treated me special...made me feel like I was the most important person in the entire world. I was happy for the first time in a really long time. But then...things changed. The night after we won our homecoming football game, we had a celebratory dance. Nothing formal, just fun. He treated me special, stole me away from the party...and that's when hell broke loose." I take a deep breath and try not to start crying. This part's the worst for me...always has been.

"He took me to another gym at the other end of our school, and pushed me into one of the storage closets. There he proceeded to trash talk me, belittle me...he made me feel as if my entire world had no meaning. I was horrified, hurt...I really thought that I'd loved this guy. But it was all just fascination. I was enamored of him showering me with all of these compliments and gifts that turned out to be all but false. He threw me into that closet, said those things, then closed and locked the door. It was pitch black in there...which is where I get my phobia from. I never used to be afraid of the dark until this incident happened. Anyway, I was in there all night. I don't know when I fell asleep, but at some point I did. I wasn't found until two days later, when he finally confessed that he shut me in there and the police let me out. He was suspended for two weeks, but it didn't matter to me. The damage had already been done...I was ruined. I was certain that I would never trust anyone again. People that I knew all over the country that had been my friends disappeared from my life, of my own doing. I secluded myself and decided that if people were going to treat me that way, then it was better that I be alone. That way no one could hurt me." I say, thus concluding my story. A hand runs over my face, and I know I'm crying, but it doesn't matter. It's all out now. I can't take it back. What he does with it is his choice.

"...Thank you for telling me. I'm sure that it was hard to trust me with something like that." I nod in response. It's silent for a moment before I speak again.  
>"So...you believe me?" I ask quietly, tentatively, because I'm just not sure at this point.<br>"Of course I do." He says matter-of-factly, as if it's a given. That makes me feel really good.  
>"...Thank you, Kyoya." I say, embracing him. He holds me there for a moment until I back away.<br>"I understand now why you were so afraid to tell me that. But I'm glad you did." He says, and I look up at him.  
>"Why?" I ask, and he pulls me into his lap. He pulls me close as I straddle his lap, not exactly the greatest position to be in, but I don't care anymore at this point. He's holding me and that's all that matters to me right now.<p>

"Because now I know that there's nothing you can do to stop me." I look at him funny, pulling away from his embrace. What the hell is he talking about?  
>"Stop you from what?" He pulls me closer, and we're mere inches away from each other. I feel my face get hot.<br>"Asking you to be mine." I feel my face heat up more, and I want to go hide in a corner, but...I guess I can't.

Hold on a second...what happened to being angry with me?

"Wait, hold the phone. Weren't you angry with me?" I ask, and he sighs.  
>"You had to kill the mood, didn't you?" I roll my eyes.<br>"Just answer the question." I say. He sighs, averting his gaze.  
>"I was angry because...well, I expected you to get jealous when Hina asked you to paint a portrait of me for her. I didn't expect you to be so unaffected by it. I was upset about it...I believed that you would deny her, and I counted on that. But it seems like I was wrong, and I never like to be wrong. So I took it the wrong way and just...lashed out at you. I knew that I would be jealous in the same circumstance, and it didn't make sense to me for you to not feel the same way. Combined with you rejecting me a while back, I was in a bit of a sour mood. I'm not the type of person who likes to be told no." I giggle at this. What a big baby.<br>"I can't believe you were upset because I didn't get jealous. Well, if you want me to be honest, I was a little jealous but...well, let's just put it this way. I knew that she wouldn't be able to take you away from me. So I didn't worry about it. Plus I found some of the confessions that she's given to you and died laughing. It was just too much. I knew there was no way you'd fall for that." He chuckles at this.  
>"Right. Well, I apologize for the things I've said in my anger. It was uncalled for." I nod.<br>"Me too. Though I was just reacting to what you said. Some of the things you said really hurt, particularly the first thing." He sighs.  
>"I know. I regret that. I blame it on the fact that you're changing me and I have no control over it." I cock my head to the side.<br>"Changing you? How?" He shrugs.

"I can just feel it. It's only starting, but when I felt things about myself start to change I felt anxious and restless. I didn't understand why I was changing. I just hope it's for the better, though I'm confident it will be considering who is involved." I smirk.  
>"Ah, well, I'm just that awesome. What can I say?" He chuckles.<br>"I much rather prefer your humble side." I stick out my tongue playfully.  
>"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I say. It's silent for a moment, and it's a little weird because we're staring into each others' eyes and I'm sitting rather provocatively on his lap. Though I don't think he minds, honestly.<p>

"Kyoya...thanks." I say suddenly. He cocks an eyebrow.  
>"And why are you thanking me?" I feel my face flush.<br>"Well...you've accepted a part of me that's taken so long for me to feel okay with. I haven't been able to tell many others because no one believes me. No one believes that bad things happen. I'm glad...that you believe me. And accept it. I was so afraid you were going to push me away...that I would scare you off. I didn't want that...I wanted there to be something more than that. I kept hoping it would go alright, and...I'm glad it did. Despite that you had to see me freak out like that...I know that I say things and look like I'm going absolutely bonkers when I have a relapse." He shakes his head.  
>"I was genuinely worried about you. I didn't understand what was going on. Having said that, it would have been a lot easier to help you had you simply told me the truth from the beginning." I avert my gaze.<br>"Yeah, well...easier said than done." I say. His hand graces my face again.  
>"But at least it's out now. Now I can deal with helping you move forward and proving to you that you're worth a lot more than what he told you. Because to me you are." He says, and I flush. That's...really sweet. My heart's pounding and my stomach's doing flips. No one's said that to me and actually meant it. It feels really warm and funny, and I can't really describe it.<br>"Thanks. That's really sweet of you." I say softly. I know my face is bright red, but I don't care. It's just Kyoya. By now he's seen the worst, so...I don't really have a need to be embarrassed by what he says or does for me. Maybe I should just accept it. After all, he's definitely a lot more trustworthy than John. And he's a lot cuter, too, and a lot sweeter...though he's a hell of a lot more cynical and sarcastic. But that's alright.

"Now, are you going to deny me again, or can I kiss you?" He asks, and just when I thought he couldn't embarrass me more, he does. My face flushes scarlet and I look away from him.  
>"You can but...I can't guarantee I'll be any good at it. I've never done it, after all." He chuckles.<br>"Neither have I, if you're being honest." He says.

Oh. I never thought about that.

"Oh...well, I guess we'll just have to hope it works, right?" He shakes his head with a smirk.  
>"I'll make it work. Don't worry." He says confidently. Meaning he's thought his through. Well, better let him take the lead, then.<br>"Okay." I say, and with that, his hand cups my face. He makes it quick, and I know that because otherwise I would have had time to back away. But he doesn't give me any time to really process what's going to happen.

But oh my Lord, when it does happen, it's magic. I'm a romantic at heart, and though I thought when people said 'you'll just know' that they were being stupid and lovey, but...now I know what they were saying. I understand now what they mean when they say you just melt and feel yourself go weak. Because that's exactly what happens.

The first kiss is soft, tentative, quick. I don't even get my eyes closed all of the way. But when he knows for sure that I'm not going to push him away, he takes his time with the second one. I can't help leaning into him...I really feel this weird sensation. Fireworks? Not quite, but...pretty damn close.

But I don't believe for a second that he hasn't kissed anyone before. He is way too good at it to convince me of that.

His lips are like velvet against mine, almost like out of one of those corny romance novels. His arms are around me, mine around him...it's pure bliss. My heart is swelling and I feel this weird flippy feeling in my stomach. Butterflies? Probably. It sure feels like it. I take my time, and so does he. We don't have anywhere to be. Why rush? After all, with my body feeling this weak, it's not like I'm going anywhere. He really does make me melt. Since when have I been so attracted to this guy?

When he breaks that kiss, I'm a little sad. I could go on for a while, actually. I wouldn't mind sitting here sucking face with him if he's that good at it.

That's when I realize I have my hand on his chest. I can feel his heart. It's beating really fast, too. So I make his heart race?

That's really nice to know. I feel good about that. At least I'm not the only one getting a little worked up over this.

I lean my forehead against his, trying to get the courage to look him in the eyes. I'm nervous, so...give me a break. His hand runs down my back, then back up. He does this a few times, and somehow I calm down and look him in the eyes.

He really does have gorgeous eyes.

"Your eyes are beautiful." He says. I flush. He'd been thinking the same thing I was!  
>"Th-thanks. Took the words right from my mouth." I say. He smirks.<br>"Well, I suppose that's a good thing, then?" I smirk.  
>"Yeah, maybe." And this time, I initiate my own kiss. It's not awkward at all. I guess I just pick up on things really easily. I always have, truth be told. That's just the way I am.<p>

We sit that way for a while. Talking about nothing, stealing a kiss here and there. It's a good way to diffuse the awkwardness, which makes me more comfortable. Yet, there's still something left unsaid, though I can't quite remember what.

"Referring to earlier in the evening...as I've said before, with your coming forward there really is no reason for us to continue a charade of singularity." I cock an eyebrow.  
>"Is that your way of asking me out?"<br>"If that's the same thing as courting, then yes. That is what I'm asking." They still call it that?

Damn blue bloods. This is the 21st century, for Christ's sake! It's called dating. I thought even you would know that by now, Kyoya. Maybe you're not as smart as I thought.

"...Okay." I say. He waits for more, then looks at me weird.  
>"No conditions? Really? I was expecting a little more of a fight with you on this, in all honesty."<br>"Well, I could always bring up the fact that if we start dating everyone will know. If word gets out, surely your family will find out. I don't know much about your family, but from looking at your place in society, I'm not sure your father would be too keen on his youngest son dating a commoner. But if you want to take that gamble, then I guess I won't stop you." I say, though in reality I would like to keep things as muted as possible, especially at school. As much as it is Kyoya's decision—given that it will impact him the most—I still feel a little bad because of the fact that I am a commoner and he is not. I don't care what my pedigree is, because when you care about someone that transcends all boundaries, but I don't want to cause more trouble for him if I can avoid it.

I can pretend I don't care, but in reality I do. He does mean a whole lot to me. Especially after today.

"I suppose it would be a good idea to limit the kind of things we do when we are at school. People can speculate all they want, but as long as we don't give them a reason to confirm it as being true, then that is all it is. Speculation, and nothing more." I nod.  
>"True. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes and deal with it when we come to it." I say, standing. He stands and pulls me back to him.<p>

He really is the affectionate type. He must be. I don't normally see him as the type to want to get close to people. I guess I'm just special, then. Which is okay, I like being special. It makes me happy.

* * *

><p><strong>AWWWW! That's so cute! :3<strong>

**Ahh, so there. Finally, Maria and Kyoya shared their first kiss...and then some. And FINALLY they're going to date. Damn you Maria for making them wait so long...why do you torture me so?**

**Haha, so anyway, thank you all so much for reading and I look forward to the feedback! The next few chapters are just going to be some fluffy stuff until Christmas time. I know it's already passed in our world, but for them it has yet to come. **

**Much love and thanks to you all!**

**~B-chan**


	34. Birthday Bash Part 1

**Alright my lovelies! Here is our next chapter!**

**Thanks so much to my wonderful reviewers who have successfully pushed my story to 110 reviews. I'm happy beyond words that I've received so many, because honestly I never thought I would. Sincerest thanks to Half-Angel-Writer, radioactivepenguin13, EbonyPrincess22, EowynAhsokaLover, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, and AhhMyLife for your wonderful reviews. I love that you guys review, and you're all constructive too! You actually say what you like instead of just 'I liked it'. It's so nice! Thank you so much!**

**Now, these next few chapters aren't really that important. I just peaked at 210 total pages for this story last night, and one of the most pinnacle things in Kyoya and Maria's relationship just happened. I'm not giving anything away, but you're all going to wonder what the hell I did to Kyoya for a little while...most likely...but it nearly moved me to tears. It felt so good to write it and it felt so real. I can't wait until I get to show it to you guys. **

**So, without further ado, here is our next chapter!**

* * *

><p>"Mari-chan, Mari-chan! You came early today! That's great!" I hear as I walk into the club room. I look over and see some of the host club already dressed up for the day. The stuff looks like it's from some sort of bad Japanese costume store. Hikaru and Kaoru are standing in front of me with something in their hands.<br>"Put this on, Mari-chan!" They tell me, pushing the heavy thing into my hands. I didn't bring my art supplies today, since I'm taking a break from art for a while. I've never been much into cosplay...I find it rather creepy. Maybe it's just my bad experiences from the many cons I've gone to, but...eesh.

"What is this thing?" I ask, looking over the purple, black and silver patterned mess in my hands.  
>"It's a yukata for you, Mari-chan!" I sigh.<br>"Guys...I've never worn one. How do you expect me to put this thing on?" I ask them, a little peeved. So they want to not only dress me up, but expect me to do it by myself? They are crazy stupid if they think that.  
>"Oh, you haven't? Well, I suppose Kyoya-sempai wouldn't mind putting it on for you. He is your boyfriend, after all." I flush, waving them off. But the ridicule doesn't stop there.<br>"Are you sure that Kyoya-sempai would be any help to her, Hikaru? After all, he might be more interested in taking it off than putting it on." Okay, I draw the line at that. It stops now.  
>"Knock it off, alright? Is Haruhi here? She can help me put it on..." I say, and almost out of nowhere does Haruhi appear and take me to the changing room.<p>

"Sorry about that, Maria. They're really excited about seeing you in this yukata, I guess." I shrug as I start to pull on the layers under her direction.  
>"I suppose that's fine, but...really? Did they have to take it that far?" I say as she finished with the outfit.<br>"Wow, Maria, it looks really good on you. They did a good job picking the colors and the design." I look in the mirror, and she's right. They did do a good job.  
>"You know they were saying those things to get under your skin, right?" I nod to her.<br>"Yeah, I get that. But I mean, come on, it's the middle of November. I've been dating him for two weeks and already they're making lewd comments. You'd think that they'd know when enough is enough..." I mumble as I take down my hair.

"Send the idiots in here so they can do my hair. I don't have the slightest clue as to what I need to do to make it look traditional." I say, and she laughs.  
>"Maria, I think you rely on the twins more than you realize. As much as you complain about them, I really think they mean something to you." I look at her for a moment, then smile thoughtfully.<br>"I know. It's true, Haruhi...honestly, I think of them as my little brothers. I couldn't dislike them for anything they did no matter how mischievous they can be. It's good to have people like them around, you know?"  
>"Aww! Mari-chan, you're so cute!" I hear as I'm glomped by the twin terrors. So much for the good-feeling moment I'd created.<br>"Thanks for the yukata, guys, but next time, try to think a little first. I mean, come on, I'm American. I may be an otaku, but really? I have no idea how this stuff works." I say, and the twins look at me weird.  
>"What?"<br>"You're an otaku, Mari-chan?"  
>"Well...yeah. I thought you guys knew that already." They shake their heads.<br>"That's awesome, Mari-chan! I didn't know you loved the Japanese art and media so much!" I laugh.  
>"Well, I love manga and anime. But I like Korean music better than the Japanese music, truthfully. That's why I don't karaoke here like I used to in America. Japanese music is terrible and I like singing in English a whole lot better." They give me a look, then look at each other.<p>

Uh-oh. This can't be good.

"Mari-chan, what do you say—"  
>"—about putting on a surprise party for Kyoya-sempai's birthday?" Okay, so what does that have to do with karaoke in Japan versus America?<br>"Um, well...as much fun as I'm sure you guys would have, leave me out of it. I hate birthday parties, especially surprises." I say, looking away from them. They start to pout.  
>"Aw, c'mon Mari-chan!" Kaoru says.<br>"It'll be fun!" Says Hikaru.  
>"I said no, guys. I really mean it this time. I don't like birthday parties." I say seriously. I'm not lying here. I really do hate them.<p>

You may be wondering why it is I hate birthday parties. Well, there are many reasons as to why birthday parties are so unappealing. For one, there are a bunch of people around making a lot of freakin' noise about nothing. Then, they sing really off key and celebrate by eating your cake and giving you gag gifts. Then come the birthday spankings. No one says anything about the true meaning of a birthday, and so for as long as I can remember my birthday has always been one that is quiet with as little people as possible. Birthdays are about the birth of the person who's birthday it is, not about gifts, cake, noise, boisterous laughter and anything else that's annoying. You're supposed to celebrate the fact that this person is alive, not act like hooligans and annoy the crap out of them.

Thus concludes my rant on birthday parties.

Still, Kyoya's birthday is in a week. I do believe in getting the person a gift, but it should be something that they will remember and treasure. It's nothing about the expense of the gift, but about why you're thankful that person is alive. I believe a birthday gift should represent and embody what you like about that person. Hence if you don't like them, don't get them a gift. Plain and simple.

So, my dilemma remains. What do I get Kyoya for his birthday?

"Maria, what's so wrong with birthday parties?" Haruhi asks me. I shake my head. I won't bother explaining it to them. They won't get it...even Tori doesn't get it.  
>"She's a party pooper, that's why." I hear my sister say. I glare at her as Hikaru and Kaoru begin to do my hair.<br>"Whatever." I say. She begins to explain—rather poorly, I will add—about why I don't like birthday parties.  
>"My sister is the conservative. She hates birthday parties because there are lots of people, and lots of people equals noise. My sister hates noise. For another, she says the only thing people care about when it comes to birthdays is cake and presents. No one takes into consideration the reason they are celebrating the birthday, only on the gifts and the 'torture' of the person having the birthday." Hikaru and Kaoru sigh.<p>

"She's just being way too practical. It figures." They say in unison. I roll my eyes.  
>"Hence why I didn't explain. You guys wouldn't understand." I say. Haruhi shrugs.<br>"I think it's a nice way to put things, Maria. I mean, if you celebrate the birth of someone, it means you celebrate the fact that they are in your life. It's a really sweet way of looking at it, and truthfully, it sounds a lot more appealing than a birthday party. Especially when we're talking about a party with these guys." I laugh.  
>"Thank you, Haruhi, for understanding that. Finally someone besides my mother agrees with me on this." I say as the twins finish my hair.<br>"There, all done Mari-chan! You look so pretty!" I sigh, the walk over to the mirror to look at it.

They did a traditional style that includes folding the hair over itself and putting in place with a traditional style barrette and chopsticks added for style and design. It looks really good.

"Thanks, guys. It looks good." I say, smiling at them. They give me these weird sock things and sandals, and suddenly I'm dressed up for the host club...with no real reason for it. Still, I've never worn one of these before, so I guess I don't mind it so much. They're really pretty.

So the host club was open for business. I was busy fixing tea and assorted sweets. I did what I could to help out whenever I wasn't working on my art. Since I'm not 'hosting' today, I fix coffee, tea, cake, and other assorted items when the girls ask for them.

"Mari-chan, you seem much happier lately! It really shows! This tea is absolutely sweet and perfect!" One of Honey-sempai's girls says to me. I smile to her.  
>"Well, I am happier! Thank you for noticing! I'm glad the tea is to your liking." I tell her, and she smiles even brighter.<br>"Any particular reason you're happier?" I freeze for a moment, but only a moment. Then, I shake my head.  
>"No reason. It's just been a good year so far and I'm glad things have been really great. Thanks for being interested, though!" I tell her. She nods and goes back to Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai. I smile and walk my way back over to make some more coffee. I realize that I need more coffee from the stock and make my way into the stock room. I close the door behind me and start to search the shelves. I hear the door and look to see Kyoya there.<p>

"Oh, hey there. What's up?" I ask him, reaching back for the coffee. I can't quite reach it so I get the stool and retrieve it, then step down and smile to him. He's looking at me, and that's when I realize he's looking at the yukata. I forgot I was wearing it.  
>"Oh, do you like it? I thought it was really pretty. Hikaru and Kaoru picked a good one." I say. He smirks.<br>"They did. It does suit you." He says, and I nod.  
>"So any reason why you followed me?" I ask him, and he shakes his head.<br>"Some time alone with you during school hours? I would never pass that up." I sweat-drop.  
>"Kyoya...we're in the snack and drink closet. That's not exactly the most romantic place in the world. Plus I'm getting coffee." I say. He shakes his head.<br>"I understand. But still, no one will bother us in here for a few moments. When Tamaki realizes my absence, I suppose that will change. But for now I like the way things are." I laugh a little, shaking my head.

"Alright, if that's what you want." I say. I'm still getting used to this behavior from him. He's a bit...clingy at times. But I know we're just starting out our relationship. I know absolutely nothing so I just try to act normal. However, Kyoya had made it a point to pick me up from school every morning and take me home after school. We go out on weekends and do whatever happens to please us. We went to the mall last weekend just for a day out. I guess it's alright, but...well, it's a bit weird to me because when he wants to do things, he turns to me. I'm assuming it's because he's catering to me. But seriously, as much as I like expensive food, I am not going to have him treat me every weekend to fine dining. That's too much work. So I make it a point to direct the dates. After all, I would much rather just spend some time with him out for a day. It makes things easier and more fun, in my eyes. That and I don't really see myself moving at too fast of a pace with Kyoya. I may be more comfortable around him, but still. There's a lot we have to learn about each other yet.

So we just take things at a slow pace and do little things together. Two weeks and things are working out just fine. So long as the host club doesn't get involved things go just fine.

"You're spacing out, Maria. Something wrong?" I come back from my thoughts and shake my head.  
>"No, nothing. Sorry, just spacing for no reason." I say. He comes forward and kisses me gently, and it makes me smile. I kiss him back and then move past him.<br>"Sorry to cut this short, but I have coffee to serve, and you have customers." I say, leaving the closet with a smirk. I walk toward the counter and make the coffee and continue doing what I was doing before.

The day ends and, yet again, Kyoya takes me home. I thank him and get up to my apartment. Shortly thereafter, Tori comes home and has brought someone with her.

"Oh, hi Tamaki. What are you guys doing here?" I then look past him and see the twins and Haruhi. Behind them are Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai.

What, did Tori invite the entire club except Kyoya?

"Tori, what's going on?" She sits down next to me and gives me puppy eyes. It's the one thing she knows will get me to agree to anything. I narrow my eyes at her as I sit on the couch.  
>"What do you want?" I ask her as the rest of the club sits down.<br>"Kyoya isn't here, is he?" I shake my head.  
>"He brought me home and left. Why?" Tori nods with a smirk.<br>"Good. Then Tamaki has something to ask you!" I turn to the blond host, who sits next to me on the couch and takes my hand.

"My dearest princess of our host club, I—" I pull my hand away.  
>"Just spit it out. Don't be lavish." I say. He smiles and continues.<br>"Kyoya's birthday is in exactly eight days. You know this, I'm sure." I nod.  
>"I do. What of it?" He gives me a look.<br>"Kyoya is your soul mate, and you don't even sound excited about his birthday!" I shrug.

"It's his 17th birthday, Tamaki. I'm happy for him, but it's just a birthday."  
>"Just a birthday? You've got to be kidding me, princess!" And with that, he starts a whole mantra with flowers, sparkles, drama...the whole shabang.<br>"My dear, Mari-chan, a birthday is a special thing to celebrate. Cake, presents, singing, and joy! They are all key ingredients to the perfect party! That is why you, Mari-chan, have been designated as our provider for this party!" I cock an eyebrow.  
>"Okay, if I remember correctly, I said that I don't like birthday parties. Since when did I say I would sponsor one? I don't remember consenting to this." I say. Tamaki gives me a puppy that even makes Tori's look ugly.<p>

Dammit...I'm caught. Hook, line and sinker.

"Mari-chan, Kyoya monitors all of the funds that go in and out of the club accounts and our personal accounts. The account I know for certain that he doesn't care to monitor that could possibly provide a party is yours! Please, Mari-chan, help us out with this party and I personally promise to repay you double whatever we use!" I sigh. I do have more money in there than I know what to do with right now. It sits there and does nothing...I suppose it wouldn't hurt. If he's paying me back double that means he's paying for the party himself, I'm just footing the bill until things are all clear. That means I also get paid to foot the bill as well.

"Okay, but I have a few conditions." He jumps up and then bows down at my feet as I sit on the couch, legs and arms crossed.  
>"Name them, my dear, and I will be sure to follow them!" He says. I nod.<br>"The first condition involves money management. I will be in charge of managing all money being spent during this entire excursion. Nothing is bought until I say so. Are we clear?" He nods.  
>"Next, when it comes to decision making, I will be in charge of that as well. I don't have as much money as I'm sure you all do, which means buying whatever we want that's high end won't be an option. We have to think of ways to take shortcuts to spend as little as possible while getting the best quality we can. Understood?" He nods yet again. Good, I'm being clear.<br>"Thirdly, when this is all over, I want no credit. I wipe my hands clean of this when it's all over. I will not be involved in your ridiculousness. I will simply assist you in any way I can, since you all are my friends. Seeing as I'm against this kind of thing, I'm not going to put my name to anything. Have I made myself clear on this?"

"Crystal, my dear princess. When do we start?" I turn to Mori-sempai and Honey-sempai.

"Can the two of you get together a list of bakeries that you all order from? Especially you, Honey-sempai. Maybe if we use your name we can get some good deals. Bring them here after I'm dropped off by Kyoya tomorrow, alright?" They both nod, and I nod in response. Good, we're making progress.  
>"Hikaru, Kaoru, I want you guys to be focused on decorating. You know people far and wide, I'm sure, when it comes to that kind of thing. Get me a list of numbers and see if you can also get some great deals. Meet me here at the same as Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai, alright?" They salute me, and I just shake my head with a sigh.<br>"Tamaki, I want you, Tori, Haruhi and I to think up some sort of theme and other assorted things. I've never planned a birthday party so we need to brainstorm what it is we want to do. You meet me here tomorrow as well. We have seven days and counting to get this done so we need to move quickly." I nod to them all and push up my glasses.  
>"Good, then we're set. Bring everything here tomorrow after I've been dropped off at home and things are all clear." Everyone nods and then leaves.<p>

Good, that's out of the way. Now all we have to do is wait for tomorrow.

"Maria, are you sure about this? You don't have to do this, you know." I nod to Haruhi as she leaves.

"Yeah, I know, but if that idiot wants to do it I don't see why I can't help. Like I said, as long as my name isn't mentioned when things go down I'm totally cool with helping out. Tamaki's my friend and Kyoya's my boyfriend. I might as well make some kind of contribution." I say. She smiles as she leaves, and I can't help wondering what it means.

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><p><strong>Ah, so Maria gets roped into one of the things she hates most: birthday parties. I empathize with her, since I really can't stand them either. But hey, I'm a softie too, so if a friend asked me to help, I would anyway.<strong>

**So, that's that! The next chapter is a little weird, but it's because we start to see the evolution of Maria's feelings. You're going to hate how stupid she is by the end of this next few chapters, but all will be well. I'm being very vague but I'm hoping it will make you all stay and wait to see what happens. It's some good stuff, that's for sure.**

**Happy days and much love!**

**~B-chan**


	35. Birthday Bash Part 2

**Alright my lovelies! I'm so happy to be back! I haven't been to my computer at all today, so this is the first time I'm going to be on it! And then I'll get back to writing some more. I've got nine days before I go back to school, but my schedule is nice enough that I have most afternoons free. So maybe I'll be able to continue to write more and more! Yay!**

**And of course, I have to thank my reviewers! Thanks so much to I'm Shexy and I Know Itt, Half-Angel-Writer, EowynAhsokaLover, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, and AhhMyLife for your wonderful reviews! I love getting them and reading how constructive they are. You guys are amazing.**

**So, this chapter is pretty much just fluff. It's mostly a bridge, but hey. I love this story, and every good story has to have it's slow and almost completely pointless moments. And the last chapter as well as this one is basically just that. Nevertheless, I hope you guys enjoy it!**

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><p>"Yes? You can do that for me? Great. And how much would that cost?" I say as I talk to the bakery that Honey-sempai often orders from.<br>"Oh...well that's a lot. What if I got the cakes freshly baked, nothing decorated or anything? Yes, just the cakes...really? Well, that's great! Yes, I really think I will order. Give me a day and I'll get back to you. Alright, thank you so much. Have a good day!" I say, writing down a few things. Tamaki comes over to me with a smile.  
>"Has it been taken care of my dear princess?" I nod.<br>"Yeah. It looks like the bakery will give me half off for skipping the decorating. That's good. I can do the decorating myself that way." Tamaki gives me a funny look.  
>"You can decorate cakes, Mari-chan?" I nod to him, looking up from the paper I'd been scribbling on.<br>"Yeah, I can. I worked a summer job at a bakery back in middle school. My mama and I also decorate candy, cookies and cakes on all sorts of holidays. We used to distribute them to our middle and high schools back in the states. You remember that, Tori?" She smiles.  
>"Yeah, and they were always really good, too!" We both laugh. I've got the decorations figured out, so all that's left is to find out what kind of cake we want.<br>"Alright, what kind of cake do we want? Kyoya isn't partial to sweets. So things like chocolate, vanilla, and all of that are out. Maybe coffee? A tiramisu would be nice. But...hmm..." I start to write things down cross things off as I go. I get down to toffee, coffee, and hazelnut cake. The toffee is on the sweeter end, though it's a muted sweetness. Coffee cake is strong if you make it right, and hazelnut is nearly flavorless. It's really nutty and aromatic more than anything.

"Do we want just one layer or many?" I ask aloud.  
>"How about just one? I think it'll be more than enough." Tori says. I nod and look at Haruhi, who agrees.<br>"Alright, so that's done...one large sheet of undecorated hazelnut cake. We need to get frosting and pipes to decorate the cakes. Food coloring...hey, what's his favorite color?"  
>"Aren't you his girlfriend? Isn't that a first date kind of question?" I shake my head at Hikaru.<br>"I have no clue. We talk about much more constructive things." I say.  
>"Like what? Having babies? Or maybe it's more like...sex." I glare at the twins.<br>"No, things like our family and friends. Now hush and answer the damn question." I say.  
>"Green. That's his favorite color." Tamaki says absently. I smile.<br>"Alright. That's good. I like that color too." I say to myself. I scratch out some other things.

What am I going to get for his birthday? I haven't thought of a gift yet. Maybe it's time for me to go shopping by myself after school some day.

And with that, the days fly by. We arrange and organize the party, which includes finding the venue—Tamaki's house, we decided—and then we order the cake. It's delivered to Tamaki's the day before Kyoya's birthday, and I arrive early the morning of Kyoya's birthday to decorate the cake.

"My dear princess! The twins are in the reception room preparing it and decorating it! The cake is in the kitchen and everyone else is in the reception room helping the twins decorate. I'll take you to the kitchen, if that's alright?" I nod.  
>"Yeah, I need to get there and get started." He directs me to the kitchen, and immediately I begin to go to work. I brought other clothes for the party, so I can get as dirty as I want to doing this job.<p>

I go to work first covering the cake in a white frosting. You have to ice a cake a certain way because of how the chemistry works. You can't go back and forth on the very first layer because then you pick up the pieces of cake on the surface and mess up the frosting. So I get down one coat, then another, and then pull out a large bowl—after much searching, mind you—and pour some more icing into the bowl. I mix some green food color into the white frosting until I get a nice color, then scoop it into a piping bag and start to decorate it. First around the base, then on the edge on the top, and then some decoration on the side. I then grab a squeeze bottle and fill it with the green frosting and start to write on the cake. Once that's done, I step back.

"Well Maria, I daresay you did a good job." I say to myself as I start to wash my hands. Tamaki comes in at that moment.  
>"The room is decorated and we are ready, Maria! Kyoya is on his way. I asked him to come by because I said I wanted him to see something I got. It was hard but I managed to convince him! The cake is done?" I nod.<br>"Yeah, completely. I'll carry it in and then go change." I say, picking it up and making my way to the dining room. I put the cake down, then get out of the room and find a bathroom. I quickly change and let my hair down. It falls straight down and then I change. I slip on black leggings and then pull on a teal dress. It's sleeveless with a black satin belt underneath that's held in place with a rhinestone design imbedded in a silver setting. I pull my birthday present for Kyoya—wrapped and complete with a bow and a card—and then shake my head. I'll give it to him later. I put it back in the bag at then slip on my black flats that have a rhinestone embellishment on the top of my toes as well. I pull on a black dressy sweater to cover up the skin and then make my way to the room. Everyone's getting ready for Kyoya to arrive.  
>"Alright, so how long do we have?" I asked Kaoru. He smiles to me.<br>"I believe the boss went into the foyer just now to get Kyoya. He has no idea. Your dress is beautiful, Mari-chan!" I smile at him.  
>"Well, thank you Kaoru." I say as everyone gets ready. I see Shima come in—Tamaki's personal caretaker, I found out—and she stands near Tori. I see her talking happily with Tori, and I can't help smiling.<p>

Then, the door opens and everyone yells surprise. Kyoya walks in—a deer in the headlights, might I add—and I just stand there and try not to laugh. I cross my arms and wait for him to cope with the fact that we—they, actually—threw a surprise party for him.

"Happy birthday, mommy!" Tamaki says, which makes Kyoya glare at him.  
>"Yeah, happy birthday, Kyoya." Haruhi says. Everyone else follows suit until I'm the only one who hasn't said something. I'd rather be invisible today. It's about him today, not me. Plus I've wiped my hands of this. I had nothing to do with it, officially, even though I funded it and helped set it up.<p>

I don't really know if he ever gets used to the fact that he's been surprised. But we manage to get him to sit down, we sing happy birthday. I direct it so that we don't sing off key, which works for the most part. I realize that Haruhi is a lost cause, unfortunately. Nevertheless things go off without a hitch.

"You're a really good singer, Mari-chan!" Honey-sempai compliments to me later. I laugh.  
>"Nah, I'm okay. Thanks for saying so though, Honey-sempai." I say.<br>"Stop it. You are!" Tori says to me, and I roll my eyes.  
>"Whatever. Shut up." I tell her seriously. I don't want her to get started on my singing. She's enamored of it, I can't stand it. So I don't sing much anymore. She mainly just pouts at me.<p>

"Mari-chan, I want to hear you sing more!" The twins say in unison. I shake my head.  
>"Not going to happen." I say as I eat the cake. It tastes really good. I didn't realize it would taste this good.<br>"Aw, c'mon. Sing one song for us?" I shake my head.  
>"No! I am not singing!" I say adamantly.<p>

"Why not?" Haruhi asks, and Tori answers for me.  
>"She hates her voice. She says that she wishes she didn't have it. But it's amazing! It's like, Christina Aguilera amazing. I wish I could sing like her! She used to sing all the time back home, but she doesn't do it much anymore. Not since she quit choir two years ago." I roll my eyes and ignore her even if she's right. About the choir part, not the rest.<br>"You will have to sing something for us sometime, then. I'm curious now that Tori has mentioned this." I hear Kyoya say to me from my left, and I shake my head.  
>"I don't know about that." I say, and then it's dropped when Hikaru and Kaoru start to cover each other in their cake. I can only shake my head with a face-palm. Those two, I swear...<p>

The day ends at nightfall, and after everything is cleaned up and put away, everyone starts to leave. Soon the only ones left are Tamaki, Tori, Kyoya and I. Tamaki drags Tori to the other room, and soon I hear the piano playing. I hear giggling and whispering too, and I can't help smiling. Kyoya sits down next to me, which makes me look at him. He takes my hand and squeezes it.

"Tamaki told me that today you were the one who helped them get everything set up to surprise me. Yet you wanted nothing to do with it. I can tell you that even though I was surprised, hearing that made me happy. Knowing that you cared enough about the others, as well as me, to do this means more than anything. Thank you for a wonderful birthday." He says, leaning forward and kissing me gently. It quickly turns passionate, and I lose myself in it. A soft noise, however, alerts me to the present that I have to give Kyoya. I smile.  
>"I did manage to get you a gift, Kyoya. But you already know who it is." I say, lifting out of my bag a small box. It makes a soft noise, and Kyoya takes it. He opens it, and out pops Mika. She climbs out of the box and onto Kyoya's shoulder. She snuggles against him and purrs openly.<br>"I want you to have her, Kyoya. She's not too keen on her sisters and she's kind of the oddball. Storm adores Tori and Ginger loves me. I want you to have her because I know you'll give her a wonderful home." I tell him. He smiles as the kitten loves on him some more. She's not small anymore, but she's not huge either. She's larger kitten size and plays with Kyoya's collar by his neck.  
>"I'll take good care of her, Maria." I smile.<br>"Good. Happy birthday, Kyoya." I say, and he looks at me. It's the first time I've said it all day, actually. He then pulls me in for another kiss that swallows me whole.

I'm so happy and thankful for this boy in front of me. I'm happy that he's with me and that he cares about me and supports me. I'm happy that I care about him so much and would love nothing more than to support him. Things between us are only going to get better, I just know it.

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><p><strong>Ah, so short and sweet. Charming, really, when you think about it. But still completely pointless. Nevertheless I was happy to surprise Kyoya, no matter how much I hate birthday parties and how uncreative with them I am, as you now well know.<strong>

**So, I look forward to what you lovely people have to say, and I thank you for reading this!**

**Much love and later days!**

**~B-chan**


	36. Getting Ready for Christmas

**My darlings, I am so happy to present chapter 36!**

**Alright, so I have to thank my reviewers, as always! Many thanks to Half-Angel-Writer, radioactivepenguin13, Draycos, and Startime101 for reviewing my story. Thank you all so, so much!**

**And I feel horrible. Last chapter I got some favorites and alerts and I forgot to put them in. I'm a horrible person T_T.**

**So many thanks to my readers who favorited/alerted, who are alyxsandria and I'm Shexy And I Know Itt. Sorry guys...I meant to put that in last time and forgot.**

**This is yet another pointless, fluffy filler chapter. Next chapter is interesting. I hope you enjoy it!**

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><p><em>{Winter Vacation, one week before Tori and Maria's return home}<em>

"Maria, what are we going to do when we get back to see mama? You're going to be without Kyoya for two whole weeks! What are you going to do?" I shrug.  
>"Tori, I'm sure the both of us can be mature enough to not freak out while we're separated. Neither of us are really that clingy. Sometimes Kyoya can be, when he wants to spend time together, but it's never anything so over the top as...you and Tamaki." She sighs sadly, and I see the look on her face. She's not too happy at the mention of Tamaki.<br>"I don't think...I don't think Tamaki even sees me any other way than his friend. No matter what I've said or done I haven't been able to convince him to let go of Haruhi. It seems he was stuck on her before I even came along. I think it's a lost cause." I smile at her sadly.

We're sitting in the living room reading. Well, I am. Tori's staring off into space, a sad look on her face. She's been looking that way since vacation started, and though I haven't really had the chance to talk to her about it, it worries me. Kyoya's been keeping me busy, unfortunately. Now that we're both sitting here, it's time to have her tell me what's going on.

"Why do you think it's a lost cause? The Tori I know doesn't give up on her love interests so easily." I say, and she manages a small smirk at that. Good, I've lifted her spirits some at least.  
>"Because every time we go out and do something, or whenever I'm with him or talking to him...at any point in time it's always 'Haruhi this' and 'Haruhi that', and I'm getting so frustrated! I don't want to give up...I really, really like him! But I just...don't think there's room for me." I sigh, thinking for a moment. I don't really know what to say. I'm in my own relationship and it's working out just fine. So I don't really know what to tell her.<br>"Tori...Tamaki does have a one track mind. But I think you've been trying too hard. Why don't you try pulling back from him for a while and see if he notices? If Tamaki gets upset because you aren't paying as much, or even any, attention to him then go for it. If he doesn't really notice, then I'd say give up. I'm sorry to say this, Tori, but Tamaki is dense beyond words. You have to do drastic things to get him to see the smallest bit of light. So...don't give up just yet, okay? I think you can turn things around. You've just got to believe in yourself and try. I believe in you, so why can't you believe in you?" She looks at me, and then after she absorbs my words, smiles.  
>"I think this vacation will be a good way to do that. I'll ignore him and his text messages the entire time we go on this trip. Let's see if he gets upset or not." She says, her deviousness coming through. That's the Tori I know. She wouldn't give in without a fight.<p>

I smile at her and go back to my book. I don't even get the chance to get to the bottom of the page when the doorbell sounds. I put the bookmark in and stand. Who could it be? I was sure we weren't having company today. I get to the door and open it, and there in the cold is Kyoya.  
>"Oh, Kyoya. Come in!" I say as I step to the side. He walks in and I shut the door. It is freezing out there, so I'm glad I'm wearing jeans and a sweater.<p>

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" I ask, and he hangs up his coat.  
>"I have something to tell you."<br>"Okay, shoot. What is it?" I ask as we walk into the living room.  
>"My father is going to be in Las Vegas through the New Year. He has told all of our family to come along. But after we get there, there's nothing for any of us to do. My father has business with the head of a company and his meeting is for him exclusively." I nod.<br>"Okay, and what does that mean?"  
>"That means, if you'll have me, I would like to spend Christmas with you and your family." I freeze at this for a moment. Tori looks at me in surprise.<p>

Just what does he want by coming and spending Christmas with us?

"...I don't know. I'll have to call ahead and ask my mom. One second and I'll do just that." I say, pulling my phone from my pocket and wandering from the living room back to my bedroom. I sit on the bed and look at the time on the wall. It should be mid-morning there. Hopefully my mom is awake since it's late afternoon here.

_"Hello?"_ I hear my mother's voice and smile.  
>"<em>Hey mama!"<em>  
>"<em>Oh, hi sweetie. What's up?"<em>  
>"<em>Well, I have some news."<em>  
>"<em>Don't tell me you're not coming home for Christmas."<em>  
>"<em>No, it's not that. I'm coming home for Christmas but...well, my..."<em>

I haven't told her I'm dating someone yet. I wonder what she'll say.

"_Your what, dear?"_

"My boyfriend wants to come stay with us for Christmas." I say. It's silent on her end for a moment, then speaks.

"_I didn't understand a word of that, dear. It was in Japanese. English, please."_ I sigh angrily. Why did I do that? I'm too nervous right now. Come on, Maria, just breathe.  
>"<em>Mama, my boyfriend was wondering if it was alright if he spent Christmas with us." <em>There. I said it. Now I just have to wait and see what she says.  
>"<em>Well, sure! I don't see why not! Is his family coming?"<em>  
>"<em>Yes, they're going to be here in the states for Christmas and New Years' so he would like to spend that time with us."<em>  
>"<em>Well, what about his family?"<em>  
>"<em>Uh, no. No, mama, he's...filthy rich. His father's going to be there on business and he's requiring the entire family to be there."<em>  
>"<em>Oh. I see. Well, I certainly wouldn't mind meeting the boy. I'm surprised you haven't told me. This is a pinnacle point in your life, moving on from what happened two years ago."<em>  
>"<em>Yeah, I know! You'll love him, mama. He's amazing." <em>I tell her. I really am excited and happy. I really do want my mother to meet him.

My father, on the other hand...well, I suppose that's going to be interesting. I just hope he doesn't do anything to embarrass me.

"_Well, I look forward to meeting him. He sounds like a very nice boy, and you sound very happy. I'm glad that you've found someone you can trust. I'll see you next week, alright?"_  
>"<em>Yep, next Monday! One week from today."<em>  
>"<em>Alright hun, I love you. Be safe and have fun, alright?"<em>  
>"<em>Yes mama. You too! Tell everyone we miss them!"<em>  
>"<em>Haha, alright hun. Love you."<em>  
>"<em>Love you too. Bye!" <em> I hang up after this, and then smile.

"So I'm amazing? Why can't you tell me these things to my face?" I flush and turn around suddenly.  
>"Oh! Hi. I didn't know you were standing there. Wait, you understood what I was saying?"<br>"Maria, you should know by now who you are talking to. I do many business dealings in the United States. We learn English in school here, as well. Yes, I can understand you." I flush in embarrassment.

"Oh...okay. Well, as you heard, my mama would be happy to have you over for Christmas. Are you sure your family won't mind?"  
>"I have acquaintances close to where your family lives in Arizona. I'm certain that my family won't mind if I'm staying with them. Everyone has their own agenda when we go to the United States. So no, they will not mind." I nod.<br>"Alright. Well, as long as they don't mind I suppose it's fine. After all, Christmas is a family holiday." I say, and he nods his head slightly.  
>"True as that may be, sometimes business gets in the way." I shrug.<br>"Well, I always thought that those who were higher up didn't work at all anywhere near holidays. Trips to the Bahamas and the like."  
>"Well, my family has no need for that sort of thing. My father is practical, if nothing else. Flaunting wealth is ugly to him if done so improperly as taking vacations more days out of the year than are worked." I nod with a small smile.<br>"Well, good. That's a good way of looking at it." I say, and he nods in agreement.

Well, this will make for an interesting Christmas. I'm not ashamed of anything my family has to offer, but we don't live in a mansion back home. Our home is quite small, actually, and with Tori and I gone it gives our mother much more room. However, with us coming home for the holidays, the room is about to become even smaller. I hope Kyoya doesn't mind things being a little cozy. I prefer things to be cozy, since that's the way I've always lived my life. How he adapts to my family, well...that's a whole other ball game. My family is super crazy. At least, my father is. My mother's about as blunt as anyone I've ever met, and it's something I share in common with her. My father is about as mature as a four year old even though he's 47. My mother at 42 sometimes can't help wondering when she married a four year old and whether she was drunk at the time or not. I always giggle at this, though secretly I wonder the same thing.

This will be one hell of a Christmas. Hopefully I can get my normally festivity-deprived mother to break out the Christmas tree, stockings, and the whole shabang for this Christmas. She hates everything to do with holidays, so getting her to do anything of that sort will probably be a doosey. But I have confidence in myself.

"Kyoya, when you say spend Christmas with my family...what do you mean by that, exactly?" He stands there for a moment and thinks.  
>"I suppose that would include spending Christmas Eve with your family as well as Christmas Day. If that is what you want, of course. I can certainly make other arrangements if your family has something else in mind." I nod, thinking a little. So he'd come all the way to our home...spend the day, then leave...come back again, and then leave? Well that sounds really stupid. I guess we'll fly by the seat of our pants then and see how it goes, no matter how stupid that sounds.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Haha, Maria's so funny. I would hope Kyoya speaks English. He's in the business world by birth...and he's Japanese, so...well, it's kind of a given. And he knows German too. Because it's one of his favorite subjects, thanks to Miss Bisco Hatori's bios on her characters. <strong>

**And Draycos, I did not know that Kyoya got a kitty in the series! I'm just now on volume 15, and so far I haven't seen him get a cat...so I didn't know. I've probably either missed it or haven't gotten to it yet. But thank you for telling me! It's something I an incorporate. This is why I have readers! Haha thanks love! :D**

**Much love and many thanks, y'all. I'll be back with the next chapter soon!**

**~B-chan**


	37. Christmas at Maria's Part 1

**Alright! Hello again, my lovelies!**

**I must thank my reviewers, as always! Thank you so much to Draycos, AhhMyLife, Half-Angel-Writer and Akemi Tatsuyoshi. Also, many thanks to LiviLove97 and Nova Bucker for favoriting/alerting this story. Thanks you guys!**

**Draycos: Yeah I'm finally on volume 16. I know that Kyoya speaks English and stuff. Thanks for the insight! And to answer your question, this story has hints of Tamaki and Tori in it, but it's not as important as Kyoya and Maria. Yes, I am pairing Haruhi with Hikaru, and I'm also tweaking the story quite a bit. I'm going by the anime as well as the manga at once, so the story is being twisted about and some things are occurring at different times. I'm making it my own and the parts of Tamaki's story and problems in the manga are happening a year later. Just as a heads up so you know. I hope you don't mind that...hehe :D**

**Half-Angel-Writer: Sadly, no, I am not going to have Kyoya confront John. At this point Kyoya has confront Maria's monster, and so has she, and they have moved on. It seems to me that it wouldn't make much sense for John to seek her out, especially since she's in Japan 95% of the time. It's always a possibility, though, that it might happen. I might change my mind, but at this point, no, it doesn't seem likely to happen.**

**With those answered, I am happy to present to you chapter 37! I hope you enjoy! :D**

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><p><em>{Arizona, McMillan household, 3 days before Christmas}<em>

"Maria, can you come help me? I can't reach the top of the tree..." I hear my mother call from the living room. I've just managed to assemble the new bed frame she bought from a friend a while ago. She'd thrown out my old one, which I've had since 5th grade, because it literally fell apart in the move. She'd put my mattress away until she could find a bed frame that would suit me, and now has tasked me with assembling the damn thing.

"Yeah, mama, I'm coming." I say, walking out from my bedroom and into the living room. I see that, even on a stool, my mother is still too short to reach the top of the tree. I may be the spitting image of her, but I am definitely not five foot even. She is definitely way shorter than I am.  
>"Here, can you put the star on the top?" She hands me the glowing object and I step up on the stool. I reach the top of the tree with ease and set the glowing star on top.<p>

When I told my mother not to recluse herself from the festivities, I meant for her to break out the tree. But she literally went all out this Christmas. The living room is decorated to the nines. Angels, holly and poinsettia decorate the walls and tables. The tree is a sight to behold all by itself, covered in lights, ornaments, and anything else you could imagine. I see that my mother hung my spun glass ornaments, the bird that I made myself one year before Christmas. I think that was my freshman year, in all honesty. But not only are there those, but then there's the Mickey Mouse ones, the Disney ones, and, my favorites, the anime ones my mother bought for herself on year. This tree is sparkling with magnificence, tree skirt and presents included in shiny wrapping paper. Our stockings are hung on the mantle of our chimney.

A chimney in Arizona doesn't really make much sense. But you catch my drift anyway.

Along the mantle are tall figurines of miscellaneous Christmas storybook characters. There's Frosty, Rudolph, Santa in his sleigh, an assorted collection of Nutcrackers, and some snowy ballerinas. Toys are also strewn about near Santa and his sleigh, where eight reindeer are hitched. Somehow, though, the Rudolph that was on that Santa sleigh was broken by one of our cats landing on the mantle one year, I think. That or it broke in a move. Either way there is no single red-nosed reindeer leading the sleigh.

Poor Santa. He's not going to get to all those little girls and boys after all. That's just too bad.

Note my sarcasm.

As much as I love Christmas, this decorative theme kind of makes me want to throw up. And it's not just this room, either. The dining room has holly and tinsel lining the walls that are connected at the top of the inclined ceiling with a wreath, which is covered in fake snow and holly berries. The kitchen—dear Lord—is decorated with Frosty the Snowman everywhere you turn. His face is on the back-splash of the stove as a laminate sticker, his images are on the windows, and the gaudiest part of the entire thing is a Frosty Cuckoo clock hanging on the wall that, on the hour, chimes and sings the Frosty song all of the way through.

Oh, but that's not the best part. Nope, the best part comes before you even walk in the house. My mother—bless her—did not decorate our yard in the cheesy Christmas lights and singing, automated, lighted reindeer and blow up figures. No, she was tactful and hung a large wreath in the middle above the garage door. On the front door is another wreath. But the kicker to this is the doorbell. I hope Kyoya doesn't decide to show up unannounced. I want him to call me so we can avoid the doorbell.

You want to know why, of course. The reason is because when that doorbell is pressed, the song 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' is played as high-pitched, tinkly, annoying bells. This is courtesy of my father and his inability to grow up. He brought it home one night and installed it without us knowing. Lo and behold the next day would come and, of course, someone came by to wish us Merry Christmas. The look of pure shock and confusion on their face, though hysterical, was one I'd rather not have repeated for my boyfriend. He would figure out quite quickly that this house is completely crazy.

I have yet to figure out how to turn the damn thing off. I wish I wasn't so mechanically inept. I can tune a piano, dance the waltz like a pro, and cook the pants off of Santa, but for the life of me I can't disassemble a noisy doorbell. Nevertheless, the gaudiness of this house has somehow avoided my room even if every other room in the house is completely thrown up on. I have managed to, in my infinite Christmas wisdom, hang a small stock from my end table that has my cat's name on it in gold and silver glitter glue. It's for Santa to visit my little darling while she is asleep Christmas Eve. That is the extent of my decorating, since my mother has done plenty of that for me. I stay in the sanctuary of my nearly empty room for the sole reason that I will be out of it all day Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then I can retreat to forget about the horribly awful things thrown up on the wall.

My room looks more like it hasn't even been occupied. There is a black metal bed-frame with my mattress on it, covered with sheets my mother purchased for guests and for my youngest sister's friends to sleep in during sleepovers...but since when did girls sleep in separate rooms during sleepovers?

I don't ask my mother why she does what she does. It makes things simpler that way.

So, returning to the room, the closet is completely open and empty except for the clothes I brought with me for my stay. Tori and I are leaving the 26th for Japan to spend New Years there instead of at home. So the closet is pretty bare. Three pairs of shoes, fourteen outfits, and that's pretty much it. I brought nothing to paint or draw with me, seeing as I saw no need. I was going to be busy with God knows what with my mother. I didn't want to have my painting get in the way. And my father's at home, so that just makes for drama and ridicule from him. Tori left her violin in Japan, as well.

You may be wondering what we did with our kittens. Well, Kyoya agreed to have Ginger and Storm stay with Mika and have them taken care of by his maids. I thought that was really nice of him, and he assured me they would be pampered with the utmost attention. His words, not mine. Nevertheless it's good to come home to see my other little darling, and she's been following me around non-stop since I got here.

Speak of the devil. She comes into my room and winds around my legs, the stretches up my legs, reaching toward me. It's her sign of saying she wants to be picked up.

"Alright, Squeakers, alright. Come here." I pick her up and rub her back, scratch her chin and ears, and she purrs for me.

I've had Squeakers since I was 14. I got her after my rabbit had died in middle school from a degenerative illness. We'd put her down to end her suffering, and though it had hurt, the following summer I picked up Squeakers, and voila! All the sadness was cured. She's adorable and has rabbit-like gray fur with white paws. One of her paws has a splotch of gray on the toe, and it looks like she's got a hole in her sock. She's got huge ears and the prettiest green eyes. She's got a bib of white and a splash of white on her nose as well. I named her Squeakers because her meow is so high-pitched and, when she wants to get my attention from across the room or even the house, she sounds like she's squeaking at me. She's my baby girl who, unfortunately, can't come to Japan with me.

I carry her out into the kitchen, where my mother is busy making food for the next few days. Prepping and baking, she keeps herself busy because it's easy with my father not here. When he's at home she has trouble doing anything, since he's always in the way. So she does things ahead of time to minimize the amount of work she has to do when he is around. It's an inconvenience, but she does what she has to.

"You have your baby." She says, and I nod with a smile at the purring bundle nestled into my arms.  
>"I do. Do you need any help, mama?"<br>"No, I think I've got it, sweetie. Thanks though." I nod and migrate back into my room, where Tori sits on my bed. I put my kitty down and sit next to her.

"What's up?" She hands me her cell phone.  
>"I want you to keep this while we're on vacation here. It's been going off like crazy. I turned it off and everything...just keep it so I won't be tempted to answer back, okay?" I nod, taking the device from her and stuffing it into one of the drawers of my end table. She nods, then gets up and leaves me be. I sigh. She's having a tough time doing what she said she would do, but she'll pull through. Hopefully it pays off for her.<p>

* * *

><p>The day of Christmas Eve arrives, and I have my phone on me from the moment I wake up. I managed to slip on jeans and a red, long-sleeved turtleneck. It's almost eleven in the and I still haven't heard from Kyoya. I sent him the address in the email along with a note to make sure he calls me before he gets here. I've been pacing since lunch out of nervousness and giddiness at the same time. My father had to make an emergency run into work today, so he won't be home until this evening, giving me about six to eight hours without him there to prepare Kyoya for the onslaught I'm sure he's going to receive. I'm also nervous because my father's never been the type of person to easily accept anyone into his life. Not that I care if he likes Kyoya or not, but I'd rather he did so he wouldn't say anything stupid. My mother will love him, I already know that. Now if he would just get here already!<p>

I feel my phone buzz in my pocket, and I flip it open to see the text. I immediately get up from the couch—which I had managed to settle into during my pacing—and unlock the door. I nearly face-palm as I see the limousine parked out in front of my house, as well as the very large crowd starting to gather.  
>"Could you be any more obvious?" I ask myself under my breath as I see Kyoya get out of the limousine. There are three guys that are with him. He speaks with them, and then they get back in and drive off, thankfully. I see him turn toward the house as I walk outside. We got three feet of snow last night—really weird for Arizona—but nevertheless it's cold and windy but not icy on the sidewalk. We meet halfway down the sidewalk, and when I get to him he swiftly pulls me into a breathtaking kiss. It takes me a moment when he releases me for my senses to kick back into normal gear.<p>

"So, care to explain why you wanted to meet me outside?" I shake my head.  
>"It's the doorbell. I'd rather it just be left alone. My dad's idea of funny is everyone else's idea of stupid and annoying." I say. He nods and then<br>"You should really have a coat. It's cold out here." I shrug.  
>"I was only going to be out here for a couple of minutes. Now let's get inside. I think my mom was making tea and hot chocolate." I say, pulling him along. He goes along with it and follows me inside, where I help him take off his coat and his scarf. I hang them up in the coat closet as Tori comes into the entryway.<p>

"Oh, hi Kyoya!" She says. He smiles at her.  
>"Hello, Tori. It's good to see the both of you have made it home safely." He says. I smirk at this as I close the closet.<br>"Heehee, thanks!" Tori says. My mother then comes into view, along with my little sister Ana. She smiles at Kyoya, and I can tell she likes him immediately.  
>"Well, hello there! You must be Kyoya." She says, and he nods with a polite bow.<br>"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. McMillan. Your daughter has told me quite a bit about you." She gives me a look, and I shrug at her.  
>"What has she told you, exactly?" He smiles flawlessly, never skipping a beat.<br>"She's mentioned a couple of things about how important you are to her. She's also let me see paintings of you that she did, and they certainly did not disappoint." My mother, not used to being charmed, simply smiles and shakes her head.

"That girl, always making things up. Well, I know you just came out of the cold. How about some hot chocolate? Oh! Wait, Maria said you like tea. I made some of that as well." He nods.  
>"Tea is fine, thank you." He says. She then pats Kyoya on the back.<br>"Don't be so formal! Call me mom or mama. I answer to both much better than anything else. You can relax here, hun. We don't bite too much." She says, walking away. I blush a little bit at this. My mother is pretty forward and always has been. Though I didn't expect anything less and don't expect my mother to act any differently, it's going to be interesting how Kyoya takes this whole experience.

We end up sitting down on the couch with our mugs and chatting for a little bit about some stupid stuff Tori and Ana did the other day. But then my mother decides to bring up another topic.

"So, Kyoya...you are dating my daughter, yes?" He nods, unabashed by her forwardness. I can't say that I feel the same. It takes everything I have not to blush even though we've been dating nearly two months already.  
>"Alright, then tell me...how did the two of you meet? I haven't been told much about you at all. Honestly I think that when Maria informed me of your plans for Christmas, that was the first I had heard of you. I can't believe that she didn't tell me. But, anyway, back to my question." He smiles.<br>"Well, the meeting was certainly an interesting one. I think Maria could explain it much better than I could." I hear him say. Something sounds weird when he speaks, though...what is it that sounds so weird? I can't quite place it.

"Oh, okay. Well, we met one day this past spring. I happened to have a job—menial, but still a job—locking up the art and music hallways before I left for the day. On one particular day I wandered into the music hall and heard a piano, and I had to check it out. I listened to Tamaki—a mutual friend of mine, Tori's, and Kyoya's—for a while, kind of getting lost. Kyoya approaches me from behind, scares the crap out of me, and I tumble over a particularly expensive sofa. The landing was not fun. But our meeting was what you would expect from me. Falling over a couch, growling, grumbling, being a grouch. You get the idea. I didn't like that I had been taken unaware. But that's the gist of it." I say, looking at Kyoya. He nods in agreement. My mother laughs a little.  
>"Well, that does sound just like you. But you haven't been dating long...why did things happen so late?" She asks. Kyoya, again, looks at me. I shrug, because this time I am not going to be the one to explain.<p>

"Your daughter has a way of complicating matters, if I may be frank. Trying to convince her of anything is impossible, and when it came to getting along with her, I found myself angry instead. We had our misunderstandings and our bouts of anger toward one another, but overall the result was the same. With some time I managed to convince your daughter that I would not hurt her. Of course, I had to prove that I could hurt her first, which made almost no sense in the whole spectrum of the relationship, but nevertheless proved to her that I, too, am only human. As perfect as I may try to be, I still make mistakes. Just quite a bit less than most." I almost want to laugh. He's explaining it as if it were some presentation or something. Like my mother doesn't know how complicated I can be.  
>"Yeah, but think about it from her point of view, Kyoya. You made her feel like you were messing with her feelings. You know that's not what you wanted to do. But you acted on poor judgment and did it anyway. You faced those consequences. And then, Lord help us, the truth about her past relationship comes out and she thinks it's the end of the world." Tori chimes in. My mother becomes interested in this.<p>

"I was meaning to ask you what it was you managed to do to get her out of her slump! She's been much more enjoyable to be around since she went to Japan. As much as I hate to see her and Vittoria so far away, they've both been doing a lot of really good things! Still, what happened two years ago scared all of us so bad simply because of what it really did to her. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to get my daughter back." Kyoya's only happy to continue to explain.  
>"Well, hearing the story was enough for me to realize why it was that things went so wrong. Trust is part of a relationship, friendly or otherwise, and when someone breaks that trust to such a degree as that boy did, it was easy for someone as emotionally expressive as Maria to feel as if no one is worth trusting. I'm sure there are other things that have contributed to this feeling that had built up in the long run, but with what this boy did to her, it was easy to see that getting someone so set on being alone to trust anyone as a friend, let alone something else, was unsettling and very hard. Many times I was tempted to give up. But when there is a challenge set in front me, I'm not the kind of person to let it sit idly by or watch it walk past me. I am a man of opportunity, after all." He says. I feel so weird with him saying these things. He's told me this before, and it's no surprise, but with my family here to hear it, I feel a little out of place. Maybe just discomfort with talking about such an intimate and serious subject, or whatever, but I still feel really weird.<p>

And I still can't figure out why it is Kyoya sounds so funny when he talks!

"It's like a fairy tale, Maria! He rescued you!" Ana says, and my faces flushes almost as red as my shirt. I hear him chuckling next to me, and it's only adding to my embarrassment.  
>"Well, you're a very smart boy, Kyoya. I'm impressed you ended up with Maria. After all, as smart as she is, unfortunately she is very difficult to deal with when it comes to people. But it seems you already know that. I'm glad that someone was finally able to get her out of that funk. My goodness, I swore she was going to end up a recluse. I didn't want that for her. Thank you for being so kind and thoughtful to listen to her. I hope she realizes how lucky she is." She gives me a look as she says that last bit, and I smile a little to myself. I do know how lucky I am that someone listens to me and cares about my opinion...mostly. It's more than what my mother has, which is unfortunate but true.<p>

I've got it! I know why Kyoya sounds so funny! We're all speaking English, even him! He sounds so funny because of his Japanese accent. Why didn't I notice it until now? Man I'm a retard. I mentally slap myself for being an idiot.

Still, it's almost hysterical. I have to try really hard not to laugh. This catches his attention as my sisters and my mom talk amongst themselves.

"What's so funny?" I snicker a little.  
>"You sound really funny. Sorry. Your accent is amusing." He glares at me.<br>"I am of Japanese birth and nationality. I may sound funny to you, but think about when you are speaking Japanese. You sound equally atrocious." I cock an eyebrow. I didn't go that far!

Damn egomaniac. I'm sorry I hurt your pride! Definitely wasn't my intention. I just thought it was amusing.

"I didn't say that. I just said it sounded weird. It took me that long to place it, though." I say, and he smirks evilly.  
>"I see. Well, I suppose that shows your incompetence, doesn't it?" I give him a look. What's with him?<br>"You're a bit grouchy today. What's up with that?"  
>"Well, Tachibana set my alarms for very early this morning. My acquaintance kept me up very late last night and so I am not in the best of moods." I elbow him in the side, and he glares at me.<br>"That doesn't mean you can be a grouch. I didn't do anything." I say, and he smirks.  
>"No, but you did laugh at my accent." I shrug.<br>"Yeah, because it was funny!" I say, and he just rolls his eyes indifferently.

The rest of the morning, as well as a great majority of the afternoon, is spent with my family. Kyoya gets along with my mother really well, which doesn't surprise me. Yet I can't get this nagging from the back of my mind about my father. I just hope he keeps his mouth shut. The restless butterflies in my stomach just won't leave me alone, though.

Somehow we end up all meandering to the kitchen. Kyoya, Tori and Ana end up sitting on the bar stools at the island in the kitchen while I start to help my mother with our dinner tonight. I start to reach for something up high, but almost immediately Kyoya is there to help me. I thank him, and just as he's about to back up, my mother stops him with a question.

"So Kyoya, have you ever peeled potatoes?" My mother asks, and he shakes his head.  
>"I've never had to. We have chefs at my home that do those sorts of things for us." She smirks at him and tosses him a potato.<br>"It's never too late to learn. Maria, grab him a knife and show him how to do it while I prepare the ham." I nod and find a couple of knives, handing him a knife. He looks at me with one of those 'you can't be serious' faces.  
>"Just watch me. It's better if you watch than if I try to explain it to you. I'm not good at explaining myself." I say, and slowly start to peel the potato. He just stares at me as I do it.<p>

"You're just going to peel a small strip lengthwise all the way around the potato, then peel each side individually. Then you'll quarter the potato lengthwise." I say, and he chuckles.  
>"I thought you said you weren't going to explain yourself." He says, and I just shake my head with a smirk.<br>"Sometimes I just can't help it." I say, and my mother gives me a look as Kyoya slowly starts to peel the potato in his hand. I get about four down when I notice that he's finished the first one.  
>"It looks good." I say, then continue as he helps. I can see Tori in my peripheral giggling silently. I can't help wanting to laugh, too.<p>

Kyoya, peeling potatoes. Not something I thought I'd ever see. Nevertheless it's hysterical. But I think it's a good, humbling experience for him. A way to bring him down off of his high pedestal and give him a view from the masses.

Then again, it probably won't do anything for him. He's not the type to really let much get to him.

When we get done, my mother thanks him happily and then arranges the potatoes in the roaster and places it in the oven. I wash my hands, then start on the sweet potatoes.

"Oh, are you going to do those for me?" I nod silently.  
>"Okay. Well, how are you going to make them?" She asks me.<br>"I'm going to boil them, mix them with some heavy cream and butter, mash them, and then add some nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar. I might throw in some marshmallows if I feel like it." I say, and my mother laughs. She turns to Kyoya.

"Sweet potatoes are one of her favorites. She never lets anyone else make them. If I were to make them she'd complain that there wasn't enough of this or that. She's so picky." He smirks.  
>"I never took you as the type to be a picky eater, Maria. After all, you eat almost anything that's put in front of you." My mother laughs as I flush in embarrassment.<br>"She certainly does! But there are some things she can't stand to eat. Tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli and pudding, just to name a few. You don't like eggs either, do you?" I shake my head.  
>"I hate them. Tasteless, slimy vaginal excrement." I grumble, and Kyoya puts a hand on his chin.<p>

"Funny. You eat things with eggs in them, surely." I nod as I finish peeling the potatoes.  
>"That's one thing. If they're in something and it's enough to mask the flavor and texture, that's fine. But I can't eat eggs exclusively. They upset my stomach and I just hate the little bastards." I say, starting the boil on the sweet potatoes. He chuckles along with my mother as I prepare the nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar mixture in another pan with some butter and water.<p>

"So Kyoya, what do you do for fun? You're young and fit. Any sports you like?"  
>"Not particularly. I'm not partial to sports of any kind. I'm the vice president of our high school's host club. Maria is also a part-time member while Tori is...an extra." This makes Tori's jaw drop.<br>"An extra? That's all I am?" But she goes ignored.  
>"Oh, a host club! I know what that is! Isn't that a group of...but aren't you guys young for a host club?" He gives her his host clubbusiness man smile.  
>"Well, we aren't at all like a regular host club. The main goal of our particular club is to entertain and amuse the young ladies at our school according to our 'types'." My mother beams.<br>"Oh! Well that's much for appropriate for a group of high school students. It sounds like fun, but what business does Maria have in a club like that?" I glare at her.  
>"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, but I also go ignored as Kyoya answers her.<br>"Well, Maria was more or less forced to participate by our president. She stands over in the corner by one of the many windows to paint, and many of our guests come to watch her paint and talk to her while she does it. It makes the club profit, but not nearly as much as it would if she were a full-fledged host. So we consider her a part-time member." My mother nods.

"Alright then. Well, it's good that Maria and Vittoria have found something to do. I know they're artistic and talented young girls, but sometimes they need a break. I have no complaints about them having good-looking friends to distract them." I turn to my mother suddenly.  
>"Mama! Don't say things like that!" I say as Kyoya chuckles.<br>"Well, believe me when I say we only live to please." Kyoya says as he pushes up his glasses. My mother turns back to me.  
>"I know you were thinking it, so don't pretend you aren't. I know your weakness for handsome Japanese men and I will exploit it!" I flush and cross my arms in embarrassment.<br>"I have no idea what you're talking about." I say, and Tori has to chime in her two cents.  
>"Come on, Maria. You're the one that told me that when you first met Kyoya your mind went into the gutter. It's okay to admit that you're a complete and utter pervert. You shouldn't be such a prude about it." I huff and turn back to what I'm doing and ignore them as best as I can to allow my embarrassment to ebb.<p>

This family will do anything and everything to embarrass me. I should know that by now, but I can't resist bringing the terror upon myself.

"Flew to the gutter how? I don't remember Maria giving any indication that she was attracted to me until summer." Kyoya asks, and Tori is only too happy to answer.  
>"Well, she's good at hiding that she's a pervert. But she's got a really, super dirty mind floating up there in her head. It's fun to mess with, actually. Especially when you call her out on it and she gets embarrassed." Tori says, and I just ignore her. I'm not going to let her get to me. I'll let her tell her lies.<br>"Really? Hmm...I suppose an experiment is in order." I hear Kyoya say, and I shake my head.  
>"Not now. I'm cooking." I say.<br>"I didn't mean now, my dear. I meant later." I flush at his reference to me.

Wait...he just used a suggestive tone with me!

"I said not now!" I say, turning to look at him with my face red as my shirt. He simply chuckles.  
>"You're right. She is a bit of a lech, isn't she?" My flush does not dissipate as I manage to strain the sweet potatoes. I put them in the pan and start to mash them, slowly mixing some heavy cream and butter. I've taken the brown sugar mixture off of the heat and now I have to mash the potatoes. Once I've mashed and mixed and done all of that, they're whipped and fluffy and aromatic.<br>"They look good, love. Good job!" My mama says, and I smile at her.

"Now why don't you all go find something to do until your father gets home? I've got a couple of things to do that you'll all be in the way of." My sisters chase each other back into Tori's room with a mutter of 'Mario Kart', and I just shake my head. Traditions never change, it seems.  
>"You two as well. Get out of here. Oh, and watch out for the mistletoe in the hallway. Your sister thought it would be funny to hang it there since Kyoya was coming. She told me not to tell you but...well, I thought it only fair." She says in a more hushed tone. I nod with a slight pinking to my face. I motion for Kyoya to follow me, and once we hit the hallway my eyes flit to the ceiling. But I don't see it anywhere.<p>

"Was she pulling my leg?" I ask, wandering down the narrow hallway. Kyoya clears his throat behind me, where he's standing at the entrance of the hallway. I look up and, lo and behold, there is the mistletoe.  
>"How did I miss it? I don't get it..." I ask myself, but Kyoya approaches me and I see the crack in the door from my sister's room. Those two! I bet they messed with it on purpose!<br>"It's a bit late now, isn't it? I thought, as an artist, that your attention to detail would be higher than everyone else's. But it looks like I was mistaken." I face-palm. This is stupid...  
>"Yeah, you'd think so..." I say, and then there's a finger under my chin pulling me to look at Kyoya.<br>"Might as well get it over with, hm?" I flush a little, but then nod. He presses his lips to mine gently, then pulls away. I hear a couple of squeals in the other room.  
>"Those two, I swear..." I say, before turning to find the doorknob to my room.<p>

"Well, my room's pretty empty since most of my stuff is in Japan. But here it is." I say, pushing open the door and walking in. He walks in, surveying it. It's plain and empty. Nothing special. I plop on the bed and then I'm immediately visited by a gray furry baby.  
>"Hey there." I say as she purrs at me and paws at my face. She then sees Kyoya and jumps down from the bed, running over and winding between his legs with a meow.<br>"I think she likes you." I say. He smirks, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to me.  
>"Yes, but she loves you." He says as she continues to rub over his legs. I giggle at it.<br>"She does. But she's quick to love on someone else." I say. A hand graces over my cheek, and next thing I know my lips are occupied. I let my eyes flutter closed and give in as he kisses me. It's heated, passionate...all the things I love about kissing Kyoya. As stoic as he is at times, and as cool as he acts, when he kisses me he certainly doesn't let those parts of his personality come though. It makes my heart do flips and my stomach flutter.

When he pulls away I can't help blushing and looking away. He gently kisses my cheek soon after.

"Are you embarrassed?" He asks softly. I feel my face flush even more.  
>"You always catch me off guard. It's not embarrassment so much as it is surprise. I'm just...flustered." I say softly. I'm not lying, I'm not really embarrassed. I'm just flustered and bashful. I'm very shy when it comes to these kinds of things, even if I am a bit of perv. I've never been intimate with anyone, so this first experience is just weird to me. I'm not used to my inner thoughts and desires coming out in real life.<br>"I suppose I'll believe you. For now." He says, and I flush an even deeper scarlet. Does he really have to make it that much worse?

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><p><strong>Alright my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed the fluffiness and craziness of Maria's (and my) family.<strong>

**Thank you all so much and I love you all! **

**~B-chan**


	38. Christmas at Maria's Part 2

**Hello my lovely readers! It's great to be back with you, as always!**

**First, I have to thank my wonderful reviewers! Thanks so much to Michie, Half-Angel-Writer, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, AhhMyLife, and MegatronLove (awesome name, XD) for reviewing my story! You guys are amazing! :D**

**Also, many thanks to all of those that favorited/alerted my story! I got tons of them, haha, and it makes me so happy. Much thanks to TheGabification, mihenna, moonwish78, Latina shewolf, MegatronLove, UnknownRyan, and princess-of-thieves6! You guys are all amazing and I love yo! :D **

**So this will conclude the Christmas arc. I'm currently rearranging/rewriting some of the next parts, since I blew through them too quickly and didn't really think them through, and my updates are going to be a bit slow because of that. I will continue to write, however, and make sure that I will keep faithful to you all. I have this story planned out to the end, so hopefully things will go really smoothly.**

**Thank you all so much and on to chapter 38!**

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><p>My father comes home just as my mother and I are getting ready to put food on the table. He walks in, stares at Kyoya, then goes and washes his hands. He comes back out and introduces himself.<p>

"Hello. You must be the boy. Name's Al." He says, and Kyoya shakes his extended hand.  
>"It's nice to meet you, sir. My name is Kyoya." My father then looks at me and smirks.<br>"Nice to know a week before you show up that you have a boyfriend, Maria. You're a bit behind on the game, aren't you?" I shrug.  
>"I was busy, father. I didn't have time to call home." I say indifferently.<br>"Well, I didn't know you liked to keep secrets. Just what were you doing that you had keep secret, hm?" My father asks, his tone implicating something clearly sexual. We all sit down at the table and start to pass around food, and Kyoya answers my father's implications.

"I can assure you, sir, that my intentions with your daughter are pure." Kyoya says, which makes me feel better even if it's embarrassing. Tori gives me a look that says she doesn't believe what Kyoya said, and I just glare at her as a sign to keep her mouth shut.  
>"Okay! Please help yourself to whatever you want. Don't be shy, we're all pigs here." And I hear Tori giggle at this. Kyoya gives my mother a small bob of his head.<br>"Thank you very much." He says, and we start to serve food.

"Kyoya, what does your father do?" He asks. I inwardly groan.  
>"My father is a zaibatsu business owner. My family owns a majority of the hospitals and medical supplies distribution companies in Japan. We are also expanding our resources and building parks and resorts designed to benefit the health and welfare of the people of Japan." My father gives me a look. I can tell he's not thinking too highly of me right now. What he's thinking, who knows, but he's definitely not thinking anything good.<br>"Okay. So you're rich?" Kyoya's smile—his fake host smile—doesn't waver in the least. But I can tell he already doesn't like my father. It's too bad that my father knows nothing about being tactful or polite. And the only person he respects is himself, and since the Japanese culture is built upon respect for others and their families, asking such pointed questions is really rude. It's clear Tori's thinking the same thing I am...her eyes are flitting worriedly back and forth between me, Kyoya, and our father.

"My family is rather wealthy, yes. I assure you that all income is earned in a practical and honest manner." My father gives him a look, and I certainly don't like it. If I was a cat my hackles would definitely be up and my hair would be standing on end threateningly. My father's grudge against those better off is coming through. It's definitely not respectful in the least.  
>"I see. Well, I suppose it must be nice. Honest work or not, money is money. Have you ever worked, son? Ever gotten your hands dirty and worked on the machines that keep your business running and keep you earning your paycheck?" I glare at my father bitterly, which gets his attention. Kyoya doesn't falter in the slightest. It's clear that he's not letting this get to him as much as it's getting to me.<p>

"Unfortunately, sir, I have not done so. Business doesn't require us to work on machines, only to manage the funds and the progress of companies." Kyoya says.  
>"I see. Well that's too bad. I guess you can't understand a hard day's work, then." I grit my teeth. I have to stop this.<br>"Father, that's enough. You're being very rude and I don't appreciate it." I say. He gives me a nasty look.

"Who's being rude? I don't remember ever insulting him. Sit there and keep your fucking mouth shut." I freeze. I can't believe he really said that...I'm used to it, but he said it in front of Kyoya.  
>"Alfred, that's enough. You're being ridiculous." My mother's warning tone is enough to simmer out my father, but not me.<br>"Father, you are being rude. Asking such pointed questions is very insulting. The least you could do is have some tact. Just because you have problems with those who are better off than we are doesn't mean you have to get on the offensive about it. It's fine if you don't like it, but please refrain from speaking that way with Kyoya. I don't appreciate it and neither does he." I say with as straight a face as I can muster. My father glares at me as I go back to my food. I ignore Tori's look of shock and my mother's look of concern. This was clearly not what she had in mind for Christmas dinner.

"So Kyoya, how many houses does your family own?" I slam my fork down on the table.  
>"Father! That's enough! Why don't you listen?" He glares at me, clearly unhappy that I am sticking up for Kyoya. He sighs and shakes his head.<br>"You know, you've been talking really stupid since you got back from Japan. Don't you think it's time you stopped playing around and did something with your life? How many times am I going to have to tell you before you get it? You aren't going to go anywhere with that artsy shit. You'll just end up a bum. Or maybe that's why you're with this guy? So you can do whatever you want and not worry about money? I was sure I didn't raise a gold-digger, but I guess I did after all." I'm frozen by this accusation. Of course that's not true! Why is he being so horrible in front of Kyoya? Why is he saying these things? A long moment passes before I'm able to recover and rebound. My mother's look of pure shock is what makes me finally say something.

"Father, that's ridiculous! How can you say things like that?" I barely manage to say. Kyoya sits at my side, and though his fork is put down, he has yet to say anything. It's clear this is not going to end well.  
>"How? By moving my fucking mouth, that's how. How do I know you're a gold-digger? You'd have to be to snag a rich man. After all, if you acted like yourself, no rich man would get even close to you. What'd you do to convince him? Play nice? Or did you—"<br>"Father, knock it off! What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you saying stuff like this?" I ask. What is he trying to accomplish by saying these things?  
>"Alfred, that is enough! We have a guest! This is no time for you to take out your frustrations on the children." My mother scolds, but this only upsets my father. My sisters sit there across from Kyoya and I, completely silent.<p>

This is not good, not at all.

"Shut the fuck up, woman! I will say what I God damn well please! So sit down and keep your trap shut." This stuns my mother into silence. He then looks back at me. Kyoya's hand is clenching mine underneath the table. I'm shaking so bad...all I want to do is hit that man right now. I just want to lay him out. The only thing stopping me is Kyoya.  
>"Why am I saying this? Because you need to face reality. You're an adult, Maria, so fucking act like one. You need to learn to grow the fuck up and realize that you can't have all the shit you want. Just you wait, you'll be at the fucking curb in no time. I can't believe you actually fucking invited him to our home. Did you honestly think you could impress him and humble him with how shitty we live? All you've done is insult me and everything I've ever fucking done for you. I want him out of my fucking house, now. And that's final." My mother stands angrily and walks over to my father. She slaps him, hard, and then has the courtesy to drag him outside to yell at him.<p>

I'm stunned speechless. What the hell does he have against Kyoya? What does he have to gain from being so ridiculous and stupid? What can I say or do? My mother's not here now, so what do I do to diffuse this awkward tension.  
>"Welcome to our house, Kyoya." Tori says with sarcasm as she goes back to her food. I sigh and shake my head as Ana does the same. I lean back against the chair as my death grip on Kyoya's hand lets up.<p>

"Please tell me that's not normal in your household." He says, and I can only nod.  
>"Yeah, that's normal." I say.<br>"He mostly yells at Maria, too. But then again...she does step in to defend Ana and I all the time. Still, as much as I hate to admit it, something like that really is normal in this house. I just hate that you had to see it, Kyoya." Tori says, and I nod.  
>"I feel the same way. I'm sorry about that." I say, but he just shakes his head.<br>"What he says has no effect on me. Don't worry about offending me." I just sigh angrily.  
>"Still, that's no reason for you to hear accusations like that. He's never thrown those kind at me, but still. He was insulting you! I can't believe that he would just do that with you here." I say, but Kyoya shakes his head.<br>"The opinions of an overworked, angry, suppressed man mean nothing to me. I can see where you got it from, your loathing for those better off. Though such a degree of insult and indecency is ridiculous." Kyoya says, and I nod.

"Yeah, it's contagious, believe me. It's not something I'm proud of. He is my father, unfortunately." And with that, we go back to eating. After a few minutes, my mother comes back.  
>"Your father has left. Please forgive him, Kyoya. He's got a bit if a grudge against the world." He simply shakes his head with a smile.<br>"I understand. Your daughter has explained everything to me. I apologize for the fact that my presence caused so much unrest." My mother shakes her head.  
>"Don't apologize for that. He's just...suppressed. Mid-life crisis and the stress of work. He's always had a bit of a chip on his shoulder." Kyoya simply nods and, with my father absent, we go back to eating with a sense of normality.<p>

When dinner is over, my mother pulls out dessert and we munch on dessert and hot chocolate while playing a card game. Kyoya simply watches, since he's unfamiliar with our family's tradition of an Uno tournament.

"Ha! I won! You lost, Maria! You're out of the tournament!" Ana says, and I slump over on the table.  
>"That's the third year in a row that your beat me in the first round..." I say, and she simply giggles as her and Tori get ready for their game. Kyoya and I sit back and watch their game, chatting.<p>

"This is a pretty laid back environment you have here...minus the dramatic interlude." Kyoya mentions as he takes my hand. I nod.  
>"It's one of the things that gets you through when you feel like the world is ending. I remember that it wasn't until the Christmas after what happened with John that I started to feel a little more normal." He squeezes my hand.<br>"Forget about him, alright?" I look at him, seeing the look he's giving me. I smile.  
>"Okay. I will." I say, and with that, I lean against him and watch as Ana kicks Tori's butt as well.<p>

"No way! The midget beat me!" Tori squeals, and Ana's triumphant laugh rings out after that. Loud as it is, it's a comfort to me to be home now that my father has decided to go stay at a friend's place tonight. He's probably going to get drunk, but my mother must have given him an ultimatum. Nevertheless I'm glad he's gone. That was definitely not how I wanted Christmas dinner to go.

As night approaches, Kyoya and I are sitting in my room with Squeakers between us, enjoying each others' company. But as we sit there, his phone goes off. He flips it open and answers it with a look on his face that tells me it's got to be Tamaki.

"What is it, Tamaki?" He says angrily in Japanese. I just giggle and stroke Squeakers. But the shouting over the line is loud enough that even I can hear it.  
>"ARE YOU AT MARIA'S? IS TORI THERE? IS SHE OKAY?" Kyoya holds the phone away from his face and grimaces.<br>"Tamaki, calm down. You're being ridiculous. Tori is just fine. She's currently very busy entertaining her youngest sibling."

I hear some muttering, then watch as Kyoya lets go of my hand and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Is it really that important that we have to go?" There's more muttering, and then Kyoya nods.  
>"Yes, but you do realize that the only one of us that can be there is me? Tori and Maria won't be able to leave for a couple of days yet. I will be on the next flight to Japan tomorrow. Goodbye." And with that he shuts his phone.<p>

"It looks like I will have to leave early tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, Tamaki wants me to come back for...moral support. Something's going on that he needs me for." I cock my head to the side.  
>"Oh...okay. What does it have to do with me and Tori?" He just shakes his head.<p>

"I'll explain when I get more detail tomorrow. You're leaving the day after tomorrow, correct?" I nod, and he nods as well.  
>"Good. Then I should be able to get you some more information when you land." I nod, and then he leans over and kisses me deeply. He then gets up from the bed and stretches, and I follow suit.<br>"I suppose I should take my leave of your home, then. I have an early rise and almost an hour to ride back to my acquaintance's estate." I feel a little sad at our holiday cut short, but there's still New Years' yet. So I suppose it's not so bad.

"Merry Christmas." He says, putting something in my hand. It's a small box, wrapped in paper and complete with a ribbon and a bow.  
>"Open it." He says softly, and I look at him.<br>"But I thought presents weren't supposed to be opened until Christmas Day." I say, and he just shakes his head.  
>"Just open it." He says, and I shrug. I untie the ribbon and pull it off. Squeakers pounces on it and starts to play with it. I just giggle, then gently tear open the paper and gape at the box.<p>

It's a jewelry box. Like one of those ones that rings, bracelets and necklaces are in. Velvet outside, and a deep blue color. He got me jewelry for Christmas.

And of course, I can't help freaking out. Knowing him it will be something super expensive for me, but reasonably priced for him. I'm not sure I want to open it, but after some urging from him, I manage to open the box.

Inside is a necklace that's really simple, really beautiful, and as I suspected, expensive. The charm on it is that of a paint palette and a brush, made of sterling silver. The metal itself isn't expensive, but the jewels on the palette—which represent paints—are without a doubt real. Tiny as they are, it's still beautiful and thoughtful.

It disappears from my hand and goes around my neck in a flash. I feel it on my neck, then look at it.

"It's really pretty. Thank you!" I say with a smile. I really like it. It's clear he put a lot of thought into it. Still the 'Tiffany' name in calligraphy on the inside lid of the box makes me feel a little guilty. But with him, it's better to just accept the gift and not gripe. It's really nice, and I really like it, so I'm better off not saying anything.  
>"Interestingly enough, the idea was thought up by my sister. I was wondering what to get you...and she puts this in my hand. I haven't seen it, either. It suits you. I can tell she really thought this through. I think it's safe to say my sister is fond of you." I nod and laugh.<p>

"Still, I really like it. It suits me. Thanks for it! I don't really have anything for you yet..." He just leans over and kisses me.  
>"Don't worry about it. Having you is enough for me." I blush a little at the overwhelming cheesiness of that, but it still makes me giddy and happy.<br>"Aw, well aren't you sweet?" He just chuckles and kisses me as Squeakers continues to play with the paper and ribbon now strew across my bed.

Even with him leaving early, and even with the altercation with my father...this really has been a very Merry Christmas.

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><p><strong>AWWW! So cute!<strong>

**I actually came up with the necklace on the fly. It just popped in my head. From Tiffany's? I don't know about that, but...well, it works.**

**I sincerely hope you enjoyed it, my lovelies! Hope you all aren't too bogged down with homework while going back to school...I don't go back until Tuesday, so I've already had two weeks of watching my sisters buried in homework. Meanwhile, I write and play Guitar Hero for fun XD**

**Much love and many thanks!**

**~B-chan**


	39. Tori and Tamaki Fluff

**Hello my darlings! It's so good to FINALLY be back!**

**First, I must thank my reviewers! Thanks so much to MegatronLove, Half-Angel-Writer, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, roxxihearts, xXsasuhinaloverXx11, and AhhMyLife for reviewing. You, my lovelies, are awesome faithful readers!**

**I also have to thank MizzRKOANIMALCENA and chance1612 for favoriting/alerting my story. You guys are awesome!**

**So...I haven't updated for (a little less than) a week. Why? Because I am currently getting over a writer's block/burning out/exhaustion from this story. I'm back writing it again, but I went back to school this week and took that time to tear myself away from this story so I could refocus and get rid of the writer's block. I had a lot of work to go through, and I had a lot of editing (and still a lot more) to do. So forgive me if in this chapter I happen to have a bit of poor explanations/characterization. I wrote about Tori and Tamaki (sporadically) and got the gist of Tamaki's story, but didn't really go into much detail and probably missed a few things. As I've said, this story focuses mostly on Maria and Kyoya, not Tori and Tamaki, but they are also a part So...yeah. Forgive me if this isn't as great of quality as you're used to.**

**Alright, my lovelies, on to chapter 39! You guys are amazing and I love you, so I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>The rest of the time we are in the United States—all of two days, since our plane left on the 26th—I don't think I ever really perked up. But now that we're back in Japan, I can relax a little bit. I hear my phone go off and see Tori checking through hers, which I'm sure is a chore. After all, Tamaki called her at least three times a day for every day we were in America, left a voicemail every time, and probably texted her at least five hundred times.<p>

There goes our phone bill.

"Hello?" I say, answering my phone. The voice on the end makes me happy instantly.  
>"I see you've landed. That's good." I smile brightly.<br>"Yeah, all has gone well. Tori's sorting through the explosion on her phone while we wait for our luggage." I say, and Kyoya chuckles.  
>"Yes, Tamaki has been having quite the fit about her. Though he refuses to tell me what's going on in his head. Now that I've gotten hold of you, I need to inform you of something." I grab our luggage off of the conveyor.<p>

"Okay, shoot. What is it?"  
>"I'm having my servants pick up both you and your sister from the airport. Tachibana knows who you are and should be looking for you as we speak." I nod.<br>"Okay. Well that's nice. Are you going to be with them?"  
>"No. He's bringing you both to the ski resort the first years' took their trip to. The rest of the host club is here as well. Your accommodations have been taken care of. There are some rather interesting developments that the two of you—particularly Tori—should be involved in and know about." I nod to myself as Tori takes her stuff.<br>"Alright. What's he look like? This guy?"  
>"Don't worry about it. He has your photos, so he'll find you. I have to go." He says as I hear something in the background. It sounds like Tamaki.<br>"Oh, alright. I'll see you later then." And with that, the other line goes dead. I put my phone away and turn to Tori. I see her talking to a man with a full head of light brown hair and shades. He's dressed kind of like a spy. I'm guessing he's one of the 'servants' Kyoya talked about.

"Miss? You are Maria McMillan, correct?" I nod.  
>"Yes. Are you Tachibana?"<br>"I am, miss. Master Kyoya has told me that I am to take you and your sister to the ski resort. Are the both of you ready to go?" I nod to him and turn to Tori.  
>"We're going to a ski resort to join the rest of your class, Tori. I hope that's alright...Kyoya didn't really give me a choice." I tell her, and she nods.<br>"Yeah, that's fine." I can tell something's bothering her. It's probably Tamaki...but until we get some more time alone and we can really talk it out, and until Haruhi and Tamaki and Hikaru make up their minds about what's going on, there's really nothing either of us can do. This love square is going ridiculously crazy.

I'm glad it wasn't that complicated for me. I don't envy them one bit.

"Here, miss, let me take that for you." I see two other men address me when we get to the limo and put up my hands as they take our luggage.  
>"Guys, just call me Maria. I promise that it's fine. Who are you guys?" I ask them, and the guy with the full head of hair bows respectfully to me.<br>"We are Master Kyoya's personal bodyguards, servants and caretakers." He answers, and I nod even though that's not quite what I was asking.  
>"No, no, I meant your names. Haha, sorry, I guess I wasn't clear." I say.<br>"I am Tachibana, Miss Maria." I nod.  
>"Okay, and you two?"<br>"Hotta and Aishima, Miss Maria." Tachibana answers. I nod to them as they open the doors for Tori and I.

"Well, thanks for picking us up." I say as Tachibana helps me into the car. I smile to him, and he just smiles back.  
>"It is our pleasure, Miss Maria. Master Kyoya told us to make sure you were more than satisfied with our service and that is what I intend to provide for the both of you. Are you thirsty or hungry? Plane rides going to and from the United States are long and hard, and the food on the airplanes are never satisfying. We have brought things with us for the two of you, upon Master Kyoya's request." I turn to Tori, and she shakes her head absently.<br>"No, I'm not." She says softly. I turn back to them.  
>"I'd like some water, please." I say, and almost immediately a bottle of water is in my hands. I down it and two more before we even get out of the airport, but that's normal for Tokyo.<p>

I don't think anyone really speaks until we get out to the country. Then, I become curious who these three are, and why I've never seen them before. Mostly I want to know who Tachibana is. He's the one who seems to be in charge of this whole thing under Kyoya. But he looks really young yet, maybe not as young as me, but young enough.

"Tachibana, how old are you?" I ask him. He pushes up his glasses from the side of his face and then speaks.  
>"I am 39, miss."<br>"Oh. Well you don't look it. You wear your age well, if you don't mind me being forward." I say. He cracks a small smile, which makes me happy.  
>"Thank you, Miss Maria. That's very kind of you." I smile back at him.<br>"Oh, it's nothing really. What about outside of work? What else do you do?"  
>"I have a wife and kids at home, Miss Maria. I'm a family man, if nothing else." I smile. That's good. He cares about them, which is very important.<br>"And you love them, yes?"  
>"Of course, Miss Maria."<br>"Good. That makes me happy. I take it your holidays went well?"  
>"They did, Miss Maria. Thank you for asking." I nod and smile, and we sit there chatting for a while in order to kill some time. Tori doesn't speak the entire time we're in the car. I'm genuinely concerned now. She's usually the bubbly type, but it's clear that whatever is going on in her head is bothering her. But I'm not going to talk about it here. I'll wait until we get back to the lodge and then have her spill.<p>

It's nearly dark when we finally get there, and when we get to our room Tori lays down on her bed and relaxes. She then turns over on her side and curls up against the pillows, forming herself into a ball. I sigh a little until there's a knock on our door. I walk over and answer it, and there stands Haruhi.

"Haruhi! Come in, come in! How are you?" I ask her, and she smiles at me, but I can tell there's something going on in her brain. There's something...off about her.

What, am I the only one feeling normal around here? What is it I'm missing?

"I'm doing okay. How was your flight?"  
>"Ugh, I hate the flights between here and the states. They are always such a pain and leave me feeling like I need a long, hot bath." I say. She smiles.<br>"There's an open air bath here. Every room has one, I think. You can use that."  
>"Sounds good! Tori, you want a hot bath? Haruhi says there's one for us!" She doesn't respond, and I sigh.<br>"What's wrong with her?"  
>"She's...having issues right now. With Tamaki." I say softly to Haruhi. She smiles sadly.<br>"That's awful. I'm sorry. She really likes him, doesn't she?" She asks me, and I nod.  
>"Yeah. I've never seen her this down before. She's normally just fine if things aren't going great...this is the first time I've really seen her so down and upset." I say. Haruhi and I watch as Tori moves from the bed. She stands and walks over to us.<p>

"Would you guys...like to bathe together? We could talk in there..." She says softly. I smile.  
>"What do you think, Haruhi? You up for it?" I ask her. She smiles and nods.<br>"Well, no one saw me come here, so I guess it's alright." I nod as we get ready to do just that.

* * *

><p>"Ahh! This feels great...I can already feel my muscles thanking me." I say as I relax into the bath. Tori and Haruhi join me, and when we've relaxed completely, I break the ice.<br>"So, Tori, what's with the long faces? Did Tamaki say something in his messages and texts?" She shakes her head.  
>"No. It's not that...I'm just trying really hard to figure out what it is I need to do to get him to see me...and not someone else. I don't know what to do. I was sure he wouldn't do anything over Christmas break, but he did just the opposite of what I thought he would do. Now I don't have any clue what to do about it. I'm almost 100% sure that he likes someone else...so I'm just so confused!" She says, and I look at her sadly.<br>"Is this Tamaki-sempai we're talking about, Tori?" She nods at Haruhi's question.  
>"Yeah, it is. I was expecting him to be so busy with you and the club that he wouldn't actually call or text me at all. But he called me and texted me so much! My phone was so full that it took me nearly the entire trip back here to read and delete everything. I don't know why he would do that if I was just his friend. He didn't do that to Maria...he didn't do it to Kyoya. So why me?" Haruhi shrugs.<br>"Honestly, I don't know, Tori. Sempai is really clueless most of the time. You'll just have to tell him straight out, I guess, and hope for the best. Sorry if I'm not helping, I just don't really know much about this whole subject." I shift and grab their attention.

"Tori, I've been telling you from the beginning that Tamaki is clueless. If you like him you have to say something. You can't be afraid just because you might get rejected." I say. She nods.  
>"I know, I just...he's a host. The most popular one. I'm just...me."<br>"And that's all you need to be. If that isn't enough for him, well, he's not worth it to you, anyway." I say confidently. She smiles a little at that. Good, I got her to cheer up a little.  
>"What about you, Haruhi? Don't you like Tamaki?" The brown-eyed girl stares at my sister for a long moment, then flushes.<br>"No! No, not at all! He calls me his daughter all the time but...I like someone else." She says. I cock my head to the side.  
>"Really? Do tell." I say, smirking at her. She flushes more at my ribbing, and we sit there giggling for a little bit before she finally says something.<br>"...It's Hikaru." I smirk, my arms flying up into the 'touchdown' position.  
>"Called it." I say, and she laughs a little more. I'm trying to diffuse the awkwardness and embarrassment a bit. I know it's hard for us to talk together if we are so embarrassed to be around each other. But they're my friends, my family, and they're everything to me. Getting them to open up and let everything out...I'll do whatever it takes.<p>

And we sit there and talk about boys, long enough for all of us to get dizzy from the heat of the bath. We all get out and dress, then go back into the lodge room and relax with some cool water before Haruhi heads back to her room. When she does, Tori sighs.

"I feel so much better, Maria. Still, I don't know how I'm going to tell Tamaki, or how he'll take it. It's going to be interesting." She says, and I nod.  
>"It will. But I'm here to support you. You'll be fine, I'm sure." I say, and she rolls her eyes.<br>"That's something I can rely on. Your support...just what I need." I punch her playfully in the arm.  
>"Thanks, Tori. That's nice of you." She beams at me.<br>"I try." She says, and we start into a fit of giggles. Somehow we manage to stop, but only because we have to compose ourselves for the knock at the door. I sigh and, in my pajamas, answer the door. My hair is plastered down my back and shoulders, but seeing as it could be anybody it's not really a presentable way to see someone.

Ask me if I care. Oh, wait, that's right, I don't. So there's no point in asking.

"Oh...hi Tamaki. What's up?" He's got a smile on his face, which is normal, but this smile is a lot more docile and muted than before. It means something's wrong.

I really am the only one feeling normal around here.

"Tori is in there, right?" I nod.  
>"Yeah, she is. You want to see her?" He nods in return, and I step to the side and let him inside. I decide it's probably best to leave them alone. I'm sure they want to talk by themselves without me interfering.<br>"Tamaki, what room number is Kyoya's?"  
>"The same as mine. Here's a key." I take it, look at the number, then walk out of the room and leave them alone.<p>

* * *

><p>Tamaki walks into the room, and I'm sitting on the edge of my bed. I don't look at him as he gives his key to my sister, who then leaves us alone. I kind of don't want her to leave, but at the same time I do. I'm so confused and uncomfortable with what's going on...talking it out with Maria and Haruhi made me feel a little bit better, but I still don't know what he feels or how things are going to work out. Maria's only able to be with Kyoya because they keep things really quiet. No one outside of the host club knows about her relationship with Kyoya. With Tamaki, it would be even harder to keep it secret. He's so popular with everyone...there's so many complications. But I can't sit here and do nothing, because that hurts even more. I might not be as lucky as Kyoya and Maria, but I'm definitely not the type to give up. I never have and I'm not going to start now.<p>

"Tori...are you mad at me?" I hear him ask, and it sounds so...guilty and sad. Almost like he's sure that he messed up. I look up at him, and he's standing right in front of me. I shake my head, standing.  
>"No! No, Tamaki, I'm not mad at you!" I say, and he gives me a sad smile.<br>"But then...why haven't you talked to me at all since you left?" I bite my lip. What do I say? Should I just come forward with it? He sounds so hurt. I've got to do something. Words aren't going to get me anywhere.

_You can't be afraid just because you might get rejected._

It's now or never. I never got anything by being a wimp. Maria's right, you can't get anything if you don't try. So...I don't have a choice. I'll go for it.

I walk forward, wrap my arms around Tamaki's neck, and lean in. I kiss him softly, and I wait. I want to see if he's going to wrap his arms around me or if he's simply going to reject me. Either way, I will have my answer. Actions speak louder than words, after all.

My heart speeds up as his arms surrounds me. And they aren't going to push me away. They're bringing me closer. He starts to kiss me back and I feel my face heat up. What's going on right now? Is this for real?

I pull away and look at him, then nuzzle into his neck and hold onto him. His face is really, really hot, and it makes him stutter. His red face makes me want to giggle, but I don't. It's so cute!

"Tori, I don't understand. What does...that have to do with—"  
>"Tamaki...I'm sorry. I just thought that...if I could make you see me, then I could get somewhere. I've liked you for a really long time, probably since I met you. But you seemed to be so caught up in Haruhi that...I was never seen. I thought that if I did something drastic it would get your attention. I wanted to know. Though it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, I didn't know what else I could do." I admit. It's not my finest moment, I realize...but I don't know what else I could have done. He's so sweet, and so kind, and I know it was really mean of me. But I was selfish and this is the result.<br>"Tori, I...I know that it looked like I was in love with Haruhi, but...I really do only think of her as a daughter. You're the one...I care about." He says softly, his face heating up even more, and I can't help flushing and smiling against his neck.  
>"Really?" I ask, looking him in the eyes, and he nods with a smile.<br>"Of course. Why do you think I've been showing you so many places? I wanted to share them all with you. I wanted those memories with you. Because I value you as a person. From what Kyoya has told me, you and your sister come from a troubled family background. Well...I have something to tell you that I should have told you a while ago. Something I think we more or less share on some level. Something that shows why it would be hard for you if you got involved with me." I shake my head.

"Tamaki, I don't care how hard it would be for me to get involved with you, I will do it. Maria and Kyoya are successful at it...I don't see why we couldn't be if we just tried." I say, but he puts a finger on my lips to stop me.  
>"Just listen to me, alright?" I nod, sitting down on the edge of the bed with him.<p>

"Tori, my family and I have a long and unhappy history. I wasn't raised here in Japan. My looks are that of a foreigner. The reason for that is because my mother is French. I was raised in France until I was 14. I didn't know that, at the time, my family was having problems. But then one day...my grandmother showed up and offered to take care of my mother, who was falling ill, in exchange for my stay in Japan. I was banned from ever seeing or speaking to her again. My mother was French nobility who had fallen out of favor with the bankruptcy of her family's company. My grandmother doesn't approve my father's marriage to my mother. I'm not illegitimate, in the most technical way, but in my grandmother's eyes I am. I haven't seen or heard from my mother in over three years. I've resigned myself to my fate...that I may never see my mother again. But I'm the only grandson my grandmother has, and I have to inherit my father's company. I've decided to do it in order to help others. I want to be in the service industry because it's what I know. That's why I run the host club...it's what I'm good at. This is going to be tough for us, Tori, because my grandmother may not accept you. If she were to find out, we face the same dilemma as Maria and Kyoya. My grandmother's connections could forever remove you from Japanese soil. I want to keep you close to me, so I'm going to warn you now. This is what could happen. Kyoya's tearing himself apart over this with Maria, because he's falling for her. Your sister is doing something magical to him...just like you're doing to me. That's why we're both willing to try so hard to protect you and your sister. You both are changing all of us in the host club, and you've become a part of our family. I would like to keep it that way. Commoners or not, you've taught us, along with Haruhi, that it doesn't matter what class of people you come from...it's what's inside the heart that matters. Knowing what you have to face, do you still want to be with me?" I nod, without hesitation.

"Of course, Tamaki. I've never gotten anything I've wanted by taking the easy way out. If you're willing to do so much for me, I'll try just as I hard. I promise." He embraces me gently at this, and I can't help twining my hand with his.

I'm on cloud nine, I don't care about anything else right now. I want to be that rock for Tamaki. I want to be with him. And no scary, grouchy old woman is going to change my mind or keep me from him.

* * *

><p><strong>Aww, that's cute. Kind of random from me, but I thought it made sense. So did my sister. So I left it in.<strong>

**Next chapter is some fluffiness from Maria and Kyoya. There's not much going on but I needed a bridge as well as something to state a more definitive line between where couples are concerned. I hope I cleared that up!**

**You all are wonderful and I love you so much!**

**Later days!**

**~B-chan**


	40. Kyoya and Maria Fluff

**Hello my lovelies! I'm glad to be back on track and writing for you again!**

**First, as always, I have to thank my reviewers. Thanks so much to EowynAhsokaLover, MegatronLove, LunarMagick, AhhMyLife, and Akemi Tatsuyoshi! You guys are amazing! **

**I also can't forget to thank those who favorited/alerted my story. Thanks so much to jeossowski and Livilove97 for doing that for me! You guys are awesome!**

**To clear something up, EowynAhsokaLover mentioned something along the lines of how fast Tori and Maria got the truth about Hikaru out of Haruhi so quickly. I know it sounded and looked really uncharacteristic, but I think that considering the circumstances of the story, it made sense. I truly believe that if Haruhi had some true girl friends and if Tamaki had been smitten with someone else, things would be easier to get out of her. Be it that there hasn't been too much of the interaction (most of it behind the scenes in your imaginations...I hope) between the girls even though I make it out to be that way, I thought it would work. Maybe not, maybe it came as a surprise to you, but that's how I saw it.**

**Whew! So this chapter is a little bit of just seeing the natural progression of Kyoya and Maria's relationship, how quickly people can get comfortable with each other and whatnot. I happen to be crushing on someone right now, so the fluffiness has increased twofold for me. Expecting major fluffiness ahead in farther chapters, because there is a lot going to be said between Maria and Kyoya. Things are going to take a bit more of a serious turn, I suppose, though it's mild at this point. Nevertheless I think you all will enjoy it!**

**Thank you and welcome to landmark chapter 40! (OMG that's a lot).**

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><p>When I get to the room, I knock a couple of times and wait for an answer. When I don't get an answer, I unlock the door and slowly push it open, peeking inside. I don't want to disturb or walk in on something that I shouldn't be seeing.<p>

"Tamaki, can you get my cell phone? It's on the dresser..." Out of the bathroom walks a topless Kyoya. Although I don't really mind it, I wonder what he would say if he knew it was me. I've seen him topless before, and he knows it. So I suppose it's okay.  
>"Well, I'm not Tamaki, but yes, I can get your cell phone for you." I say, walking over to the dresser and grabbing the device from the top of it. I walk back over to Kyoya, who still has yet to pull on a shirt, let alone his glasses. I hand it to him as he pulls the towel from his head and looks at me. He then smirks at me, and without his glasses the smirk is...well, it gets my heart racing a little bit. More than a little bit, actually. It's downright sexy...I can't help thinking that. But I manage to remain poker-faced and smirk back, crossing my arms.<p>

"I take it Tamaki went to see your sister?" I nod in response to his question.  
>"Yep, and I got kicked out of my room. Well, I actually voluntarily walked out, but who needs details?" I say, walking away from him and sitting down on one of the two beds in the room.<br>"I didn't think you would be sharing with Tamaki. It doesn't seem like something either of you would do." I say. Kyoya simply sighs at this.  
>"Yes, well, with the other students staying here, there wasn't much room for one person to a room. So we're sharing. I can't say I'm pleased about it, but he's tolerable to some degree." I crawl across the bed and flop down on it. It's surprisingly comfortable.<br>"Don't deny it when I say you like the fool. You guys are best friends. You get along a lot better than you let on. After all, he was the one who helped you become who you are today. Without him you'd probably still be the robot." I say, staring at the ceiling.  
>"And what gives you that idea?" He asks me, his voice seemingly uninterested. But I know that's not true. Call it woman's intuition, I just know in my gut that it's not true. He's very interested.<br>"Are you kidding me? I don't see you as the type of person to, on their own, comfortably come out and express yourself the way Tamaki was able to allow you to. You were in your own little bubble before he came along. Everything was business. To some degree it still is, but I thank Tamaki a great deal for making you come out of your shell. After all, if he hadn't, I'm sure we'd absolutely hate each other by now." I say, my mind drifting. My eyes are unfocused as I'm in my head, thinking about it.

I'm right, and I know it. If not for Tamaki, I probably wouldn't be with Kyoya at all. We'd probably absolutely hate each other. I'd still be a hateful bitch, he'd be an evil bastard, and neither of us would be where we are today. I have a lot to thank Tamaki for, not only when it comes to Kyoya, but also when it comes to Tori. He's given her so much care since we've been here, taking her places and having her see things that even I haven't seen yet. We don't get to do those types of things at home, simply because of how my family lives. She's experienced life because of him. He is a blessing. I'm so glad that he's a part of my life. Because of him, Kyoya's a part of it too. That makes me happy. With Tori happy, and with Kyoya by my side, I don't think life could really get any better.

Well, it always could, but I'm content with just what I have here and now.

When my eyes refocus, I notice that I am no longer staring at the ceiling, but straight into the eyes of Kyoya, who is still without his glasses. I am too, so seeing him is a little fuzzy, but it's not too bad. I stare into his eyes for a while, before he breaks the ice.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks. I smile a little, tracing a finger over his high cheekbone and then over the shape of his right eye, which is mirrored to my left hand. My hand then rests a moment on his cheek before tracing his jaw.  
>"Nothing, I'm just analyzing the contours of your face, particularly your eyes. Though it's more the hue of those that catch my attention." I say softly, which makes him smirk. Surprisingly, it doesn't really bother me that he's hovering over me, or that he's shirtless. I'm comfortable with him, so I have no doubts that his intentions are pure. I do trust him to an extent.<br>"And is there any reason why you're doing that?" I shrug a little.  
>"I don't really know. Ever since I met you, when I look at your eyes, my mind goes crazy. I think of a million ways to paint that hue, but just like my eyes, I really think it would be nearly impossible to find the right combination of base colors to create the hue. So it makes me think and analyze it for a really long time." I say softly. He then closes his eyes with a chuckle.<br>"...What?" He shakes his head.

"You really are too interesting for words." He says, softly kissing the corner of my mouth, then placing a soft kiss on my lips.  
>"Why do you say that?" I ask when he pulls away, and his smirk doesn't leave his face.<br>"Considering what kind of position we're in, I would have thought you would get shy on me. I was counting on it, actually. It's rather amusing to see you flustered." I give him a look.  
>"Really? You do these kind of things to get a rise out of me? That's sick." I say softly, turning my head to the side. He chuckles at this.<br>"I'm not sure I agree. I think it's normal, considering I could do a lot worse. You forget that we are still young, hormonal teens." I flush at that.  
>"Well I'm glad you're not stupid enough to do anything like that. Because I don't care how rich you are, I will still knee you in the crotch if you try anything I don't like." I say. He smirks devilishly, which means he finds it amusingly and sickly funny. And he doesn't take me serious, either.<br>"That's a dangerous threat to make, Maria. Don't make idle threats." I laugh against his kisses.  
>"Who said they were idle? I was being completely serious. But you didn't take me seriously. You should know better than that right now." I say. He shakes his head.<br>"I don't think you quite realize the position we are in, what it could possibly insinuate. If Tamaki were to walk in right now, he would have a fit over the 'treatment' of a lady. And there's no doubt that he would tell the entire host club, and then you will be teased even worse than you are now." I flush at this. So he knows the remarks that Hikaru and Kaoru say to me?

"Oh...point taken. You know about that?" He chuckles.  
>"There is nothing in the host club that I do not know. You should know that by now." I smirk.<br>"Yeah, because you're the Shadow King." He smirks.  
>"Exactly." He says, bending down and kissing me. This time, it's more involved and there's more to it. I'm noticing that the more I kiss him, the braver he gets. And the more comfortable I get with it. I don't think I'm nearly as embarrassed now as I was in the beginning. Even on Christmas Eve, I was only surprised, but I didn't mind it at all. Having him get to know some of the worst aspects of my life, and to have him be okay with it, has made things a whole lot easier for me. I don't feel afraid to be myself around him. I don't have to feel like I have to be prim and proper just to impress him or get him to respect and accept me. Whatever I did to deserve his respect, it was certainly worth it. I wouldn't be here now if he'd been a complete bastard to me, that's for sure.<p>

And he gets bolder still. Well, besides being mean and biting my lip to get me to open my mouth, he has to French kiss my brains out while he's at it. I don't really mind, though. Though swapping spit with him is a little weird for me. Nevertheless we take our time with it and get the hang of it. After all, neither of us have done it, though I've read enough smut in my lifetime to know the mechanics behind it. It gets hard to focus, though, because not only am I losing oxygen, but he's really putting his all into it, which is leaving me breathless. It's like a double whammy to my weakness. And I have to admit...though I've said it before, he's an amazing kisser. Not just with his lips either, as I've just now found out.

I try not to breathe so heavily when he finally manages to let me get some air, but it doesn't really work. But I'm not the only one breathing heavy.

"Are you two done? Jeez, I was wondering if you two were going to eat each other alive." I hear my sister's voice and flush a deep scarlet. I bury my face into Kyoya's neck, trying in vain to hide my embarrassment. Kyoya sits up, with me clinging to him, and puts on his glasses. He says nothing and neither do I. Tori and Tamaki are standing there, Tamaki with a shocked and embarrassed look on his face, Tori with a devilish smirk on hers.  
>"When will you two learn to knock first?" Kyoya finally says, reading my mind.<br>"We did knock. We waited five whole minutes, knocking at exactly every minute just to give you time to pull yourselves away from each other. We finally just came in here, and lo and behold you two are sucking each others' faces off. What a surprise." She says sarcastically. I notice the slightest shade of pink across the middle part of Kyoya's face.

So he was embarrassed at being discovered? Glad I'm not the only one. And Tamaki remains silent the entire time, shocked into silence, I'm sure. Nevertheless, it's another step for us to take and another thing we can trust each other with. As minor and...lewd as it could be, I'm liking the baby steps forward. I only hope it gets better from here.

* * *

><p><strong>Aww, that's so cute. Man, I'm so jealous of her...you all would agree with me, I'm sure, when I say that I wish I really was Maria XD<strong>

**Thanks to all of you and I love you all so much!**

**Later days!**

**~B-chan**


	41. A Shocking Confession on New Year's

**Hello, my lovelies! I come bearing literary gifts as an introduction to the weekend!**

**I have to thank my lovely reviewers, as always. Molto grazie to MegatronLove, LunarMagick, AnimeRomantic4Ever, AhhMyLife, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, and LadyKisa for reviewing! You guys are saying wonderful things and I love reading your reviews over and over again. Thank you so very much!**

**I also can't forget those that alerted/favorited this story! Thanks so AnimeRomantic4Ever and izzieabella1234 for doing that, it makes me feel great that you care enough to want to continue to read. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!**

**So, side notes. This chapter is pretty interesting, since one thing in particular comes completely out of nowhere (you'll see what I mean), probably because I put it in there randomly and off the top of my head. I kind of always had the idea, but never really wanted to develop it. It's something I could always play with. You'll understand once you get there...if you catch it. I think it's obvious, though.**

**I will stop blabbing and let you get on to what you came here for: the story! Here's to chapter 41!**

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><p>"Tori, are you almost ready?"<br>"Yeah, just putting on my shoes!"

I walk into the living room and tap my heel-clad foot. Tori walks into the living room with a short, grass green dress that has a stark white cotton belt under the bust. The dress itself is cotton and hangs loosely from her body, the skirt poofing out a bit at the bottom around her knees. She's wearing a white sweater over the top to conceal her shoulders and to mute the exposure of her neck, since the dress is strapless. She has on flats of matching color to her dress with white polka dots on the toe of the shoe. Her short hair is flipped outward a little at the ends, and it looks really adorable.

"See Tori? I told you that dress was so you. It looks really cute on you. The green really makes your eyes pop, too." I tell her, and she smiles at me happily.  
>"It really is cute! Your dress is pretty, too. I still don't know when it was that you got legs a mile and a half long, but they look good nonetheless. And that color is very sophisticated." She says. I look at myself in the full length mirror we'd hung in the living room for just such things.<p>

I'm wearing a navy blue cotton dress that is very similar to Tori's—it should be, since we bought them at the same store—and it's got a cream cotton belt under the bust. This one's different from Tori's because it's got tiny polka dots that start a little here and there in the middle of the bust and increase in number the closer you get to the hem of the skirt. The skirt also poofs around my knees at the bottom. I'm got navy heels on—really low heels, only about an inch and a half—with a rhinestone design on the top of the foot. I've curled my long hair and pulled a cream shawl from my closet that I've had for forever and only worn maybe once. The only jewelry I'm wearing is my pearls that my mother bought me for my 18th birthday. I have the studs in my ears and the close-fitting necklace and bracelet on, all a set she bought for me.

"They're here, Maria. We should go." I nod, walking out of the apartment behind Tori and locking it behind me. I descend the stairs in time to see Tori run and jump into Tamaki's arms. They kiss each other, and as happy for her as I am, I'm still irked that she went and started dating him behind my back. Still, they look really happy. So I guess I can't complain too much.

"Are you ready?" I hear Kyoya ask me, and I smile and nod.  
>"Yeah, so let's go. Don't want to keep Hikaru and Kaoru waiting." I say, and he chuckles.<br>"I'm sure they won't mind if we're a little bit late." He says, kissing me deeply. I surrender myself to it, because I know that's the best thing to do. I'm still confused as to why he does it so much, but that's alright. I really don't mind at all.

"Let's go, you two! Stop eating each others' faces off or we'll be late!" I hear Tori say, and I can't help giggling. That sounds so funny, coming from her.  
>"We should go before she throws out any more embarrassing insults." I say, taking Kyoya's hand and letting him help me into the car.<p>

* * *

><p>When we get there, we all get inside before the guests arrive. I realize that this means that some of the host club's clients are going to be here...meaning the time we're going to be spending here today is not going to be together. I'll have to chat and dance with other people too. But that's alright, if that's the only thing I can deal with it. It's Tori that I'm sure is going to have a bit of a problem. Tamaki's client pool is so large that, if Tori wants to get in a dance, she'll have to fight for it.<p>

Secretly, I'm glad I'm not the only one who has to deal with this problem.

I sit with Tori and watch as the party gets underway. It's not too long into the party until Tori's stolen away by a very happy Tamaki. Somewhere in the many times they spent together he'd taught her how to be a lady, proper etiquette, dancing, the whole shabang. I can't help wondering to myself when they got all of that time to do that, but then of course I remember that they go somewhere almost every weekend and during the last few weeks of summer they were always in other places. Nevertheless they sweep across the dance floor effortlessly. I can only smile. It makes me happy that they're able to be together, and even though no one but the host club knows that, it's still something to be happy about.

"You seem preoccupied. Should I come back later?" I perk up at hearing Kyoya and look up and to my right, where he's standing. I just shake my head.  
>"Sorry, just thinking. What is it?" I ask, and he takes my hand and helps me up.<br>"Dance with me." He says, and I smile.  
>"Alright. Sure." I say, and with that, we dance. It's so nice to be able to do it so effortlessly and freely. Even if our relationship is a secret, it still makes me happy to be able to spend time with Kyoya.<br>"It seems that your sister and Tamaki are content." I nod as he presses us close together.  
>"It's true. They are. I just can't help thinking there's more to what's going on than what Tamaki told her...she told me afterward, but it just seems so full of holes. Like he's conveniently leaving things out." Kyoya nods.<p>

"It's a rather complicated situation. Tamaki probably gave her a shortened version to prove a point. Nevertheless, yes, there are a lot of holes even now. I've known him for almost three years and still I can't figure out everything that's going on inside of his family. It's best if things are left alone for now. The last thing that's needed is more trouble." Kyoya says, and I nod. I'm not going to press. It sounds rather serious, and even though Tamaki's my friend, I have a feeling this is one of those things that you just...leave alone until it becomes necessary to help. If I could even help at all, that is.  
>"Have you been practicing? You've gotten better since the spring." I shake my head.<br>"No. I guess I just pick up on things really fast." I say, and he just agrees with me as we dance.

Tori and I finally sit down after a couple of dances with our partners, laughing about some joke she made. The twins come up to us after they finish a dance, and I smile at them. I like that Hikaru changed his hair to be different from his brother. I also like that he and Haruhi are mutually interested in each other even if they don't admit it. I also like that Kaoru's stepped outside of his box. They're starting to act like individuals. It's something I've really come to appreciate since we got back from the lodge a couple of days ago. Needless to say, I never did go skiing or snowboarding, but there's a reason for that. It's dangerous for the uncoordinated to do things like that. I probably would have killed myself.

"Are you ladies enjoying yourselves?" Kaoru asks as they walk up. I nod.  
>"We thought that we'd come entertain you since you're alone." I shake my head.<br>"It's fine. We know you guys are busy with guests. You are hosts after all." I say to them. Hikaru grabs Tori's hand.  
>"Come on, Tori! Let's go dance!" She yelps a little as he drags her to the dance floor.<br>"Hikaru! Not so fast!" She screams after him as he drags her across the room. I can't help laughing, along with Kaoru.  
>"So, would you dance with me, Mari-chan?" He asks, holding his out to me ever so nicely. I smile at him and take his hand, rising.<br>"Well, since you asked so nicely...sure, I'll dance with you, Kaoru." I say, and he smiles at me. He's a little bit shorter than me, since he's my height normally, but that's alright. He's nice enough, and certainly not half as annoying when he's apart from his brother. He's definitely the mature one, which is strange since he's considered the 'younger' twin.

"So what are you doing for New Years', Mari-chan? Anything else besides our party?" I shake my head.  
>"Not as far as I know. However, considering who I'm involved with, that tends to change sporadically." I admit, knowing that at any time during or after the party Kyoya could change our plans. Not that I mind, since our Christmas was interrupted, but still. It's always unexpected with him.<br>"Are you happy with Kyoya-sempai?" He asks me, his face serious. What's that look for? Is he concerned that I might not be happy?  
>"Yes I am, Kaoru. What's the matter? Are you worried about me?" He nods his head.<br>"Mari-chan, you're like an older sister to everyone. You've always watched after all of us in the host club, ever since you got here. That's not going to change, is it?" I shake my head.  
>"No. If that's what you want from me, then I'll continue to do as I always have. What are you so worried about, Kaoru?" Why won't he come out and just say it?<br>"...Mari-chan...you won't get mad at me if I tell you a secret, will you?" Just what is that supposed to mean?  
>"Of course I won't get mad, Kaoru. Now what is it?" I ask, and we stop dancing. He embraces me and holds me there before saying it.<p>

"I love you, Mari-chan. I have ever since I got to know you. I used to think that way of Haruhi but...I knew she'd choose Hikaru before me. And that's when you came along. I just...felt as if you should know. I know you're with Kyoya-sempai, but I didn't want to let you go without telling you." He says, looking me in the eyes with a sad look on his face.

Holy shit. I had no idea that this was going on. Since when? Why did he feel the need to tell me?

It's so sweet of him, but...of course I can't choose him. Not only is he jail bait for me, but I have someone else. Kyoya's all I want, more than I could ever need. Now I just feel guilty.

"At least say something, Mari-chan." I blink a little and then smile.  
>"Thank you, Kaoru. That's very sweet of you...but as you already know, I'm with Kyoya. It's nice to know you care about me. Thank you for that." I say, hugging him back. I've never had to turn someone down before. That's kind of hard, since it is Kaoru. But he's sweet and mature. He'll find someone who will appreciate his quirks and qualities.<p>

When we separate, I'm a little stunned. I didn't think that I would feel this way. I feel guilt, happiness...shock and confusion. It's a little overwhelming for me. I get something to drink and wander outside of the party. I stand outside and think for a little while on my own. A hand on my shoulder startles me, but the voice calms me.

"Are you alright?" I turn to see Kyoya and smile.  
>"Yep, just taking a break. It gets a little stuffy in there with all of those people around." I say, turning back to look at the stars that have started to come out. It's evening, but it's not that late.<br>"...What was it that Kaoru said to you before? It seemed pretty serious." I flush a little.  
>"You saw that?" I ask him, and he leans against the railing with his hand in his pocket.<br>"I think everyone in the room saw it." I sigh, running a hand through my hair. I fidget with my glass.

"...Kaoru has feelings for me. He said he wanted to tell me so that he didn't have to leave it unsaid. I guess he wanted to know what I thought, but I just answered him truthfully. I'm with you, so...nothing could come of it. Plus, I think of Kaoru as a brother, not a man. I don't think I could think of him that way. Moreover, he's just way too young for me..." I say, which makes Kyoya chuckle.  
>"That's rather amusing. We're pushing it with you seeing me. If you were with him you would be in a lot more trouble." I can't help laughing at this.<br>"What can I say, I like younger men. Be it that you're 17 now, we're okay. When you were 16 and I was 18, well...that was pushing it. But now it's all good." I say. He rolls his eyes at this.  
>"Tamaki has already left the party with your sister. I don't think your sister will come home tonight, what with his plans for her." I stare at him in horror.<p>

"What do you mean? What's he doing with her?" Kyoya flushes little. I wonder why?  
>"That's...not what I meant. They're doing something that's going to take them well into the early morning. Fireworks, food...something like that. Tamaki was too excited for me to really get the gist of what he was talking about." I laugh at his face. Clearly, I embarrassed him. I can't help that my mind flies to the gutter before it goes anywhere else. My bad.<br>"And?"  
>"We could do something of our own to make up for Christmas." I stare at him for a moment until it registers. Then I smile.<br>"I'd like that. But what do you have in mind?" He smirks.  
>"I was going to ask you what you wanted to do. Your ideas seem to be much more practical and appeal to you more." I smirk, then cross my arms and put a finger on my chin to think.<p>

"Hmm...well, I think we should spend this evening simply. Take out food, fireworks, that kind of thing. We should get Chinese, and then we can head back to my apartment to watch the fireworks. My studio has an entire wall made of windows that extends to the roof, and the view is perfect for the fireworks tonight. So we should watch them." I say. He nods.  
>"Alright then. You do realize the fireworks don't start until after midnight, right?"<br>"Yeah. Your point is?"  
>"Well, did you have anything else in mind?" I shake my head.<br>"Nope, not at all. Honestly, the other day I was just thinking that there's so much we could talk about, but we never do. I thought maybe we could just...talk and see where it goes." I say, flushing a little. It kind of sounds stupid, but...it's what I want to do.  
>"Hmm. That sounds like a very intriguing idea. Quite simple, but I have to agree that there are many things we could talk about." I smile. At least he didn't think I sounded like an idiot.<br>"Alright then, let's go! I'm starving." I say, and he laughs as we make our escape.

* * *

><p><strong>Aww, so cute. The next chapter is cutenessfluffiness/romance overload, though. We hear something rather shocking, too. I'll leave everything anonymous, though. I might update again this weekend, but don't quote me on it. I may, but otherwise once a week updates. My English class this semester is very writing intensive, so I'll be pretty busy. I will write when I get time, though! **

**I love you all and much luck to your studies (if you're in school).**

**Ciao!**

**~B-chan**


	42. A New Year's Resolution to Remember

**Alright, my lovelies! I upheld my promise to publish a chapter this weekend, and here it is!**

**First, I must thank my reviewers. Thanks so much to AnimeRomantic4Ever, EowynAhsokaLover, MegatronLove, Half-Angel-Writer, Akemi Tatsuyoshi, and AhhMyLife for your wonderful reviews! You guys are my cheering squad and I love it. Thank you so much :D**

**As for your question, Half-Angel-Writer, I don't foresee Kaoru's confession being a problem. However, I did it for future problems that are going to arise between Maria and Kyoya (I know, I'm horrible, but I just can't leave them alone) so that Maria has at least someone besides her sister to care for her. Mainly because Tori can get very brutal. You guys will see that shortly, probably in about five to eight chapters. I don't see him interfering with Maria and Kyoya's relationship, just as someone who will care for her through the hurt and the heartbreak. I'm so partial to Kaoru it's not even funny (he's just...better than his brother, in my opinion) so I thought about adding it as an element of surprise and wonderment to the story. However, Kaoru will NOT interfere with their relationship, because he is not that kind of person. I hope that clarified things. You'll see more of his endearment later on, I assure you.**

**And I can't forget to thank the only person who favorited/alerted me since the last update. Thanks to Crazyhyper09 for you favorite AND your alert. You are a darling! :D**

**So this chapter is uber super duper mega FLUFFY and CUTE and maybe a trace of smut can be seen. But I LOVED writing this part. It's by far my favorite part of the story. We see the immense deepening of the relationship between Maria and Kyoya here. A lot is said and implied, you learn a lot more about the both of them in context to the story, and all in all, it's just a great chapter. A surprising OOC moment from Kyoya that I think I managed to write well enough to get away with it. Hehehe :P**

**So my darlings, enjoy your 42nd chapter of With All My Art and Soul!**

* * *

><p>About an hour later we make it back to my apartment with food in tow. I unlock the door, turn on some lights, and then greet the kittens as they start to mew at me.<p>

"Yes, darlings, I know. I know! Stop meowing at me...oh. You want your food, is that it? Okay, just give me a minute. Hey! Don't step on my feet! I don't want to kick you!"

The monologue continues until I fill up their food and water. All the while, Kyoya's watching me.

"How's Mika doing?" I ask him. He shrugs.  
>"She's fine. Tachibana takes care of her during the day, and when I come home she likes to sit with me while I do homework or manage the club's finances. She follows me almost constantly. Tachibana has been taking very good care of her needs." I smile.<br>"Tachibana's a good man. I like him." I say absently.  
>"You do? And how is it you know him?" He asks with mild interest.<br>"You had him pick Tori and I up a few days ago, remember? When we went to the lodge, I talked with him most of the way there. He was great company." I say, grabbing the food and a fork before motioning for Kyoya to follow me.  
>"Actually, here. Take this and go upstairs. I'll go get blankets so we don't have to sit on cold wood." I say, and he silently obeys.<p>

Good man. He listens...teehee.

I manage to grab a couple of blankets and make it upstairs. However, I can't see over the damn things and have trouble placing one foot in front of the other.

"Here, let me help you." Kyoya says, but by that time it's too late. I trip and the blankets go flying. I land on my stomach with a groan.

And then, there's a groan beneath me. I flush.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry..." I say, sitting up. He manages to sit up as well, and the blankets are laying on the floor somewhere. I'm sitting on him, but no longer am I crushing him. I'm sitting in his lap, facing him, as he props himself up on his hands. We stare at each other for a moment, just staring for no real reason.

Then, we start laughing. I can't stop it from happening, it just...does. We laugh for I don't know how long, but it's long enough. When I manage to wipe the tears from my eyes, he leans his forehead against mine.

"You're ridiculous." He says. I giggle at this.  
>"Yeah, I know. I guess that's what happens when I try to do too much." He smirks, but doesn't say anything. He then leans in and kisses me, and I wrap my arms around his neck. His hands slide along my back and stop at the curve of my lower back, then pull me forward. I flush, but he doesn't waste any time in making sure my mouth is occupied. I lose myself to this kiss and lean flush against him, and he freezes. I feel him tense up and stop moving, and I look at him. What's wrong? Why did he stop?<p>

Then, my stomach growls, breaking the tension. I then start to laugh again.

"I think that's a sign that I need to eat food." I say, and he chuckles.  
>"I think you're right." I stand up and help him up. Then, we set out the blankets and sit down to eat. By now the food is warm, but not piping hot, so it's perfect for eating.<br>"You're using a fork." Kyoya points out, and I nod.  
>"I can't use chopsticks, remember?" He nods.<br>"I know. But did you ever think to learn?" I shake my head.  
>"I figured I was too inept to do it." He sets his food down and moves closer to me He moves behind me and slides his hand over mine, making me set down the fork.<br>"Now watch what I do." He says, breaking my chopsticks apart and handing them to me. I grab them, and watch as his hands position his chopsticks in the crease between his thumb and forefinger. I try to mimic it, and they fall out of my hands.

"You have to grip them firmly or else they'll fall. Here like this." He says, almost wrapping his fingers around the sticks, but not quite. I copy, and they awkwardly sit there. It doesn't look nearly as nice as his, but I think I've got the gist of it.  
>"I think I've got it...mostly." I say, and he chuckles.<br>"Here, let me show you." He says, putting down his and changing the position of mine a little bit. He leans closer to me, and then I feel his breath on my neck. It startles me, and the sticks fall out of my hands.

"Is something the matter?" He asks, and I flush. I can't tell him that!  
>"N-no, I'm fine, really. Here, sorry." I say, picking them back up and positioning them again. He goes to fix it again, and he breathes on my neck again. I feel a shiver go down my spine, and it's outwardly expressed as I shudder.<br>"What is the matter?" He asks. I shake my head, my face flushed scarlet by now. I'm sure of it because I feel a little lightheaded from the blood rushing to my face.  
>"It's nothing. Forget about it. Just help me do this." He smirks, which I see from my peripheral.<br>"You've already got it. You've been holding it this entire time perfectly." He says, and I look up at my hand.

He's right. I am holding it.

"Yeah, but using it is a whole other ball game." I say, and then he chuckles again. His breath hits my neck and I shudder again.

This is not going well. Not at all. If I don't stop blushing...he's going to find out. And then use it against me.

"Are you cold?" I shake my head.  
>"Not at all. I'm pretty comfortable, actually." I say. He leans closer to me, and I know because I feel his body heat resonating on my back. That, and suddenly his breath is hitting my neck a lot more. I feel my face not letting the blood leave. Damn you! Why do you do this to me?<br>"Then why do you keep shaking like that?" He asks, pulling my hair out of my face. Dammit, my hair was blocking most of his breathing. But now there's nothing to deter it. This is not going well at all.

My neck is sensitive, dammit! I can't have him knowing that! He'll use it against me.

He then presses his hand—which is really warm—to my neck. I'm sure his intentions are pure, but what he's doing to me is not. I don't think I need to go into a whole lot of detail to explain why him touching my neck is not a good thing. Nevertheless, his hand makes me shiver and bite my lip. I don't want to make any noise if I can help it. It will just make things more embarrassing for me. I don't think I could live with myself if I did make any noise.

"You aren't cold. Your neck is very warm. Are you sure you're alright?" He asks, and I avoid letting him look at my face. I don't want him to know! Dammit, you, get away from me already! If I wouldn't feel so guilty from it I would so totally punch you right now!  
>"Yes, I'm just fine. Really." I say, my voice cracking and making me swallow. I have this huge lump in my throat. Why me? Why now? This sucks. There's a reason I don't let people massage my neck and shoulders. I don't like for people to touch me there.<p>

Then his arm surrounds me and prevents me from moving anywhere. I start to freak out in my head. What's going on? What is he thinking? Better yet, what the hell does he think he's doing?

"Kyoya, what are you do..." But I don't complete that sentence. And I don't get to complete that sentence. I freeze up as I feel something on my neck.

Oh God. He's kissing my neck. Dammit to hell! This is not going to end well.

I can't help the shudder that goes through my body as my nails dig into his arm. He's wearing a long-sleeved shirt, so I don't leave marks, but if the shirt wasn't there I'm sure I would. I try my best to push away thoughts as they come to my head, since they aren't really helping the situation any. Then I hear him chuckling. He's laughing at me.

"Shut it, asshole..." I say, grinding the words out through my clenched teeth.  
>"I get it. Your neck is sensitive. So tell me, why have you kept this a secret from me?" I flush. The answer should be obvious, jackass!<br>"Do you honestly think I'd tell you? It's embarrassing! I wouldn't want to tell you something you could use against me." I say softly, making sure he doesn't see my face. He then kisses my cheek and uses his free hand to turn my face toward him.  
>"I would think you would want to tell me. But I guess, now that it's out, I should take advantage of it." I flush.<br>"You perv! No way!" I say, and he chuckles darkly. I didn't know he had this side to him! What a pervert! What did I get myself into?

It's his fault! All his fault!

"I think I will have to disagree with you on that." He says, kissing me and pushing me onto my back. I flush scarlet.  
>"Kyoya, wait!" I say, but it's clear he doesn't want to hear me, since he continues to do it anyway. He kisses me more, pinning my wrists. Okay, you were supposed to teach me to use chopsticks, not tease me! Damn you!<br>"What, you don't like it? I was under the impression that you did." I flush, turning my head away from him in embarrassment after he breaks the kiss and stops raping my mouth with his tongue.  
>"It's not that I don't, but...I mean, wait. What?" He smirks at me, which I see when I look to the side, and kisses my jaw. He works downward, kissing along my jugular. I bite my lip to keep from crying out. It's not that I don't like this, it's that I like it too much You idiot...don't you get it?<p>

Oh well. You're going to deal with the consequences, not me.

"Hmm, I wonder..." I hear him say softly against my neck.

Wonder what, asshole?

He kisses one spot—a particularly weak one at that—and then starts to nip at it. He's using his teeth? What the hell? That is so not fair! Nevertheless, my body flinches and he loses his grip on my wrists. My hands fly to his shoulders and grip his shirt. I grab it and push him backward until I fall on top of him. I kiss him, push my tongue into his mouth, and he grips my hips.

Woah, woah, woah. Wait a minute. This has got to stop before it goes way too far.

I pull away from the kiss and sit up. He follows suit, and I'm sure I look shocked. I know I'm certainly feeling that way, so I'm sure I look that way too.

"...There's a reason I said to stop." I say, and he chuckles.  
>"I see that. Though, frankly, I don't think I mind this side of you. It's good to see you taking more initiative." I look at him and cock an eyebrow.<br>"You really are a pervert." He smirks at me and kisses my cheek.  
>"Nevertheless, it's good to know you're physically attracted to me." He says, and I give him a 'duh?' look. What, did he honestly think I didn't find him attractive?<p>

I'd have to be lesbian to think he's unattractive. Honestly I think he'd turn a lesbian straight. No offense to anyone, of course, but come on. He's gorgeous!

"That's my line, idiot." I say, averting my gaze downward, and he just looks at me with an amused smirk on his face that I see when he runs a hand over my cheek, which makes me look up at him.  
>"You have doubts about my attraction to you?" He asks, and I sigh. Is this guy really that clueless? For real? Come on...<br>"Come on, genius. Think a little. I'm not like those well-bred, upper-crust china dolls. I can't afford a hairdresser and makeup artist." I say, and he chuckles.  
>"And that's why I do find you so attractive. Because, without hiring a complete line of people to dress you, you can make yourself look beautiful." I flush, looking away in embarrassment. Okay, that was cheesy. But I still liked it. It was nice to hear.<br>"Whatever." I say, and he just chuckles, kissing my cheek again.

"Understated, honest beauty is much better than anything a salon could come up with." He says, and I nod.  
>"I agree. Women who are honest and comfortable in their own skin certainly do look a lot better than women who pay money for plastic surgery and salons every week to get people to notice them. I don't believe in cosmetic alteration and I never will. Changing something's natural appearance is a sin for an artist like me. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to my art. I like things just the way they are." I say, and he embraces me, nuzzling into my neck. I flush, shudder, but then surround him with my arms.<br>"Your beauty is in your soul and your heart, Maria, more than what's on the outside. I'm not just saying that, either. Everyone who knows you would say the same thing. It's your charisma, and it's what draws people to you. As modest as you are, I think it's okay for you to have a big head sometimes. You certainly work hard enough to earn it. You respect yourself, which is more than what most girls our age can say." I flush, then smile. I lean my forehead against his and set my hands gently on his chest.  
>"I think that's because I know, now that I've met you and the others, that I can be myself. You helped me...you've done so much for me. You accepted my past, which I was sure had all but ruined me. And you accepted the fact that my father insults me at every chance he gets just because he can. Yet that didn't sway you or make you change your mind. It makes me feel impervious sometimes, knowing that I can lean on someone when I have everyone leaning on me. It's the sense of security that makes me so comfortable with myself. That and I don't really care what others think about me, because it's only the opinions of those close to me that I value and care about." I say, and he kisses me deeply. When he breaks away, I laugh.<p>

"What's so funny?" He asks me, cocking an eyebrow. I just shake my head.  
>"We've hardly eaten since we got food. I'm starving!" I say, and he smirks at me.<br>"Well, if you'd stop tempting me, maybe there wouldn't be any problems." I give him a 'wtf?' look and then put my hands on my hips.  
>"Tempting you? Okay, whatever you say." I say, getting up and scooting back to where I was sitting before. I pick up the chopsticks and begin to eat as he seats himself next to me.<p>

We sit there in silence and eat, and it's a comfortable silence, considering what just happened moments ago. But I think the awkwardness dissipated the moment he got mushy on me. Not that I mind, it's just a fact.

"Maria, I never thought to ask before, but...what is it you want to do when you're done with high school?" He asks me as I throw away our garbage. I sit down and recline back on my hands, my legs straight out and crossed at the ankles.  
>"Hmm...you know, that's an interesting question. One I haven't really thought about. The only thing I want to make sure I do is get into Tokyo University. That's been my dream since I was a kid. Once I get there, well...I'm not sure. I know that I want to open my own gallery. I want to someday fund my own program to further the artistic education of underprivileged and middle-class children. Not just art, per se, but music, dance, theater...all of it. I want to open them up all over Japan."<br>"You've never thought of going back to the United States for college? They have much better schools for the arts there." I shake my head.  
>"It's not art cultivation I'm looking for. It's more like...business, accounting, finance management, business management, that kind of thing. I want to know what I'm doing and not just blindly walk into something that I'll have to rely on a lawyer to read and translate for me. I want to do it on my own. I don't like others helping me—as you well know—so anything I can do to further my education and make me self-aware, I'll do it. I suppose if I'm going to open schools that includes learning about education and how to be a teacher...I guess there's a lot I want to do. But it's all for the same goal: to one day lead a fulfilling life and not have to worry about money like my family has. I don't want to be rich, but I just want to be able to wake up one day and not worry about whether or not I'll be able to eat that day, or how I'm going to avoid that one person at work, or how I can evade a project at work. I want to be happy and satisfied. Whatever it takes to get there...then that's what I'll do." I say, and I'm surprised at how it all comes out. It sounds just right to me. It makes sense. And it's exactly what I wanted to say. There's no gray area. I just hope he understands.<p>

"...I didn't take you as the type to want to reach so high. You're an amazing worker, Maria, but in all honesty I thought you would be content with world-renown in art." I shake my head.  
>"There's no point in being world-renowned for what you do if you don't do something to give back. In my case, for example, the only reason I got to where I am today was because of my hard work and the people that helped me along the way. You have to give back to those who helped you, otherwise it's like they didn't matter. Too often I see those who gain world fame, and suddenly they only care about themselves. They forget about everyone that helped them out and everyone begins to realize how worthless they really were as a person. If it was a choice between being world famous and completely alone, or being unknown and surrounded by people you love, there's definitely no debate in which one is better."<br>"But then, if you want to give back to those who helped you, wouldn't it make sense to take your dream back to the United States?" I shrug.  
>"It would, but...I've grown the most here. I've made friends here, I've met a lot of people and, in all honesty, my art has grown here because of the quality of teachers. With the personal attention I've received, there's been more growth in me than ever before. So the people I really want to give back to are here in Japan. And, in all honesty...I don't want to go back to the United States. I like it here in Japan, because everyone I care about is here. Sure, my family's back in the States, but like I told you...once I can support all of us, I'm taking my mama and my sister away from that household and have them live with me. My family has always been there for me, but with that man in the picture things have never been right. I wish that things could be different, that we could be a normal family, but that's never going to happen. So I have to make the best of what I have and hope that one day I can make sure my family doesn't end up that way." I say. He slides his hand over mine.<p>

"I'm probably saying too much. I just can't stop talking when I start." He shakes his head at me.  
>"No. I like hearing it. It's so simple, so positive. Nothing like what I'm used to." I smile at him sadly. I know what he's getting at. But I don't think it will be a problem for him to get to the top. He's doing so much...working so hard. It's bound to pay off eventually.<br>"You'll make it, Kyoya. You're doing so much and working so hard, believe me, hard work pays off. If anyone would know that, it would be me. Just...be yourself. I think that's what will make you stand out more than just being the best at everything. Don't be afraid to take risks and try new things. Hell, you're already dating a 'commoner'. What's riskier than that?" I say, giving him a cheesy smile. He leans over and kisses my cheek, which makes me blush a little, in a good and happy way.  
>"And I certainly don't regret it." I smile.<br>"Well good. Because you're stuck with me." I say, and he laughs.  
>"You make that sound like a bad thing." I shake my head.<br>"Not intentionally. But still, Kyoya...what would you do if your father found out?" His faces goes stoic at this. I can tell he's thinking really hard, too. That means he probably doesn't really know. He squeezes my hand.

"...I'm sorry, but I don't really have an answer for that. I try not to think about it, because I believe that nothing will happen. After all, what is it that you could do to destroy my family's image? Everyone loves you and respects you, and almost everyone my father knows has a painting they bought from you. I keep thinking that if my father knew, he would make an exception. But sometimes I can't help thinking that it really isn't that way...that if he found out I'd be forced to cut my ties with you. And that's the last thing I want to do right now." I cock my head to the side.  
>"Why is that, Kyoya? It's not as if I give you anything. I'm just here." He puts his arm around me and pulls me close, laying his head on top of mine.<br>"I know I told you my intentions with you were selfish. I tend to do things not for myself, but for the sole purpose of pleasing my father. When I chose you, I made a commitment to myself. I wanted to step outside the box that had been built for me at birth. To everyone that knows of me, I would be the last person on Earth to court a commoner. But that's the thing; I wanted to do something no one would expect of me. If there is one thing that Tamaki has taught me, it's that I don't have to be inside of a box or a frame. I can be myself and do what my father expects of me in the process. I can't follow my brothers' paths, because by doing so I'm showing that I'm just like them and nothing more than a robot designed to do just as my father wishes. If I follow a path all my own, I show my father that I am capable of handling and dealing with much more than my brothers, and that I am more adapted to the position as head of the family business. Whether that holds true remains to be seen, but I honestly think that, once my father realizes who you are, that he will have no problems dealing with the fact that I have chosen you." I cock my head to the side again.  
>"Chosen me? You say that as if there won't be anyone else." I say, and he smiles at me.<br>"Maybe there won't be. At this point, no one can say for sure." I sit there, frozen for a moment.

Would Kyoya choose me? Would he really go so far as to say that he doesn't want anyone else? That I'm the only one he wants to be with? That's a lot to say this early on in the relationship. Though I suppose we have known of each other for almost a year. We've only dated a couple of months, but we've grown close very fast.

Hold on, Maria, don't get ahead of yourself. You're both still in high school. Normal high school kids feel this way with their first 'love'. Take it in stride and see what happens. Don't get too crazy and think so much. You're an adult now...you have to think like one. Think realistically and not fantastically.

"Hmm. Well, I guess we'll have to see. That's a bold statement to make, considering everything that's against us." He nods with a sad smile. I've never seen that before, but it looks so weird on him and even sadder than it would on anyone else. I can't help reaching out to him to touch his face.  
>"Don't look like that. You look so sad." I say, and he looks at me, then laughs a little.<br>"I can't help it. The thought of losing you right now isn't very appealing." I shake my head.  
>"I'm not going anywhere, okay? So don't worry about it. And don't make that face." I say, sitting back on my hands. I then look at my silver watch, and holy shit! It's almost midnight.<br>"The fireworks should be starting any minute now. It's already 11:57." I say, and he smirks.  
>"I didn't that much time had passed." I laugh.<br>"I told you that when I talk I don't shut up. And we did have a lot to talk about, like I said we would." I say, and he chuckles at this.

"Don't forget, you have to make a New Year's resolution." I say, and he gives me a look.  
>"Really? I haven't done that in quite some time. I'm not really the type to believe in that sort of thing." I giggle a little.<br>"Well, to be honest, I always make one, but haven't really managed to uphold it...though this year I did." I say matter-of-factly. He smirks.  
>"And what was that?" He asks as I look back to the window.<br>"I'll tell you after the fireworks. They're starting now, see?" I say as one small firework goes up into the air.

And with that, the sky lights up in front of us. Reds, blues, greens...bright whites and creams. Sparkling and dusting, spirals and shapes, all of it illuminates the sky. I feel the grip on my hand tighten a little, and I manage to pull my eyes away for a moment so I can see what that's all about. A hand cups my face, and Kyoya kisses me. As much as I like fireworks...I like this much better. My eyes slip closed as his lips caress mine, moving against them in such a way that makes my heart race and flutter at the same time. He intertwines our fingers and nips at my lip a little, and I oblige by opening my mouth. My heart does a flip as his tongue touches mine, and when it does he sighs softly. My free hand reaches up and touches the one that's on my face gently. With that touch he breaks the kiss, then gently takes the hand that's on his and puts it to his lips, kissing the knuckles. I can only sit and watch...it's almost like it leaves me in awe. He's so...I don't even know how to describe it. It's like he's a different person, but not. When I met him the first time, I never thought of him as an affectionate person. But I guess if you like someone enough, anyone could turn into this. Or maybe he was this way all along, he just never got the chance to show it.

I really am lucky. I've never really said it all that much but...I really am. I'm so lucky that he's here. I'm glad he gets to be by my side. That's one thing that I hope never changes...a sense of security and care and trust. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it until he said that it was okay. He was okay with me being me. He was okay with my past. That security was what I've been missing the entire time, and I'd wondered what it was that was missing. Now that I have it...I don't want to go back to that empty feeling ever again. It's not pleasant. This definitely is.

"So what's your resolution?" He asks me as the fireworks start to die. I smile.  
>"My resolution is the same every year. Meet someone new and try new things. That's been my resolution ever since I started middle school. Unfortunately, I haven't always been willing to uphold it. But last year I did manage to, and now that I have, I'm wondering if I can do the same thing this year. I don't really want to change it, since I don't really aspire to do anything else." He shrugs.<br>"Then don't change it. There are billions of people in this world. You've managed to meet new ones, why not continue it?" I smile and nod.  
>"Yeah, that's true. What about you, Kyoya? What's yours? Or did you not make one?" He looks spacey for a moment, then answers me.<br>"I'm still thinking about it. I'll be sure to tell you if I do, though." I smile and nod, and my mind wanders for a moment.

"So why did Tamaki decide to take Tori away?" Kyoya chuckles.  
>"Well, I have a feeling the two of them will be seriously dating before too long. They kind of are now, but not...according what Tamaki's said. Tamaki is smitten. I can't say that I don't understand how. The charisma must be in your genes. Half of the population of males in our school want to have you or your sister." I laugh.<br>"That's funny. I can't see why, but okay." He just shakes his head.  
>"It's like I told you. Everyone respects you and your sister even if the two of you aren't from our class in society. You're both honest and hard-working people. If that's not worth respecting, then I don't know what is. Anyone who fools themselves into thinking you aren't worth respecting, they're wrong. Nothing is more commendable than honest work." I nod in agreement.<p>

We sit there in silence, and he lays back on the blanket. He sighs, relaxing. I join him and lay my head on his chest. I hear and feel his heartbeat and his breathing. It's soothing and relaxing, and it's putting me to sleep. And it doesn't help that his cologne is intoxicating.

"...I've thought of my resolution for this year." I sit up on my elbow and look at him.  
>"And? What is it?" He smiles and gently caresses my cheek with the back of his hand.<br>"I'm going to make you fall in love with me." He says, and I can't help dropping my jaw. I'm shocked. That's his goal for the year? To make me fall in love with him?

"What's with you this evening? You're being particularly mushy." I say, and he smirks.  
>"I'm with a beautiful woman, and I'm happy. Why wouldn't I act that way?" I shake my head.<br>"Well, it's making you say funny things." I say, averting my gaze, but then he grabs my chin and gently makes me look at him. His face has gone serious.  
>"I wasn't kidding, Maria. I will make you fall in love with me." I almost want to cry. That's all he wants? For me to fall in love with him? He's got to be joking. There's got to be more that he wants out of this new year than that.<br>"Why?" I ask, and he smiles at me.  
>"Because I want to make sure you say those three words first. I don't want to be the only one feeling that way." I give him a weird look. What does that mean?<br>"What do you mean?" He sighs, sitting up a little bit and propping himself up on his elbows.  
>"Maria, I'm going to be honest with you. I don't mean to be forward, but...ever since we started seeing each other, each day I feel myself growing closer to you. I'm falling very fast. I don't want to be the only one that feels that way. Do you understand?"<p>

Of course I understand. I just don't want to believe it. How could a guy like you fall for someone like me? Is that even possible? It's almost like one of those bad Cinderella stories. Except I'm not some wimpy charity case, and he's not a prince. Still, who needs details? The concept is the same. I'm just...plain. I'm not anything special, so why me?

"We may not have been seeing each other long, but we have known each other for a time. We've had our differences and our disagreements, and we've had our misunderstandings. But honestly I've never been happier in my life than I am right now. I don't know what you did or when you did it, but you've done something to me that I can't stop. I get up every day looking forward to seeing you and hearing what you have to say. You, just being yourself, has given me more than you could ever understand. So...as stupid as this probably sounds, and as out of character as this is for me, please believe me when I say that it won't be long before I...before I can't let you go." He whispers the last part with the slightest pinking on his face, looking me in the eyes and then averting his gaze. He's being so honest. How could he not be? He knows that I won't judge him, in all seriousness. But why tell me this? You're just making it harder for me to be able to walk away in case someone or something comes between us. Still...hearing someone say that to me and actually mean it is breathtaking. I realize now that when John said that he was falling for me, that it was a lie. He didn't say it like Kyoya did. He didn't have that look in his eyes or that face full of emotion. Kyoya isn't normally as emotional as everyone else, but...with me he's only ever been honest. I've come to appreciate it. That way I don't have to guess what it is he's feeling...I already know. And that's a comfort to me.

Whatever I did to deserve this, I'm glad I did it. Because I never thought I'd ever hear someone say that to me...that they're happy just seeing me and talking to me. I don't have to wear anything special or do anything spectacular...I just have to be me. That makes me so happy that I want to cry.

"...Why are you crying?" I look him in the eyes and smile as both of his hands cup my face, wiping the tears away.  
>"Because that makes me happy, Kyoya. No one's ever said that to me and meant it. No one's ever been sincere. I never thought anyone would be. I'm so happy that you said that. Because it means that I'm doing the right thing just being myself...that I don't have to change myself just to be wanted and cared for. Thank you, Kyoya. You're just...so sweet." I say, surrounding him with my arms and burying my face in his neck. He holds me there, and he lays back against the blanket. He kisses my forehead.<br>"I'm the one that should be thanking you." He whispers, and I prop myself up to look into his eyes. I run the back of my hand over the side of his face, then lean down and kiss him. He's eager to receive the affection, wrapping his hand in the hair on the back of my head. The other arm is around my body, holding me close. I then break the kiss, lay down with him, and allow him to pull a blanket over us. I close my eyes and surrender myself to sleep.

That cologne really is intoxicating. And it really does put me right to sleep. I know that I'm going to have great dreams and get great sleep. I'm so overwhelmed but...it's in a good way.

I'm glad he's here. I'm so thankful. I really, truly am.

* * *

><p>Kyoya lays there for a time, on his side, holding Maria in his arms. She clings to him, and his heart is racing almost as fast as his mind. He's thinking about what he's said...and he wonders what he'll do. If he's falling in love with her, he won't be able to let her go as easily. Someone broke past the wall of ice around his heart and melted it from within...and that scares him as much as it makes him happy. She's done something he never thought any woman would ever be able to do. He never thought he was capable of falling in love.<p>

But now that he's met her, he's not sure he can _stop_ himself from falling in love. He knows it's only a matter of time before he's past the point of no return...when his heart finally tells him the truth.

Until then, he'll have to do whatever it takes to make sure she's happy and content. She never asks anything of him, only that he treat her right, which is a given. But she makes it so easy to just be yourself because she is so honest. She's so good at seeing through people's facades...she saw through his almost immediately. What is it that she sees in him? Other girls look at him because he comes from wealth or because of his looks. But she looks at him because he accepts her and doesn't take advantage of her.

She's so strange, so unique...so simple. A layered, complex puzzle capable of boggling the minds of everyone she meets, yet is so easy to solve at the same time with the right kind of mindset. Her charisma draws people in and makes them believe in themselves. And no one really can fault her for anything because of it.

As his eyes slip closed, he realizes that he will have to get his father to see her that way, too, because once he does, there are no limits to his relationship with Maria. And when that happens, he knows there will be no one else but her. She's just too good to let go.

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><p><strong>DAWWWW! DAT'S SOOOO CUTE! *squeals*<strong>

**...Yes, I just squealed at my own story. I hope you guys liked it! I thought it was really cute, even if it was pretty long. Ten pages total, so I hope you're happy with it!**

**I love you guys, and thank you so much for sticking with me through 42 freakin' chapters! I'd say that, shortly, we'll reach the halfway point. I hope you guys don't mind it being, like, 100 chapters. Because I have a lot more in store for you.**

**Arrivederci, and Ciao!**

**~B-chan**


	43. Nurturing the Sickly

**Hello, my darlings! It's so good to be back now that it's been almost a week since I updated!**

**First off, I would love to thank my reviewers. Thanks so much to radioactivepenguin13, Half-Angel-Writer (yes, it seems you are the only one who asks questions and gets personal answers, teehee XD), MegatronLove, AnimeRomantic4Ever, AhhMyLife, and Celesius (darling, your review made me sooooo happy, like I was almost crying, so thank you soooo much!). You guys are all amazing and the more I hear from you, the happier I get. You're all so sweet, so thank you!**

**I can't forget my favoriters/alerters. Thanks so much to Celesius, Chidori-No-Kyoku, Jnnfr-chan, Permanently-Addicting, Ms. Lucky1322, and Blacklolroses. You guys are amazing!**

**This story is filler, fluff and wonderful stuff. I got such great feedback from the last chapter, so thank you guys so much! You make writing this story so worthwhile.**

**Though this kind of thing may seem far-fetched, I just couldn't help myself. This is a great way to showcase the evolution of the relationship between Maria and Kyoya, and how nurturing Maria is. Feel the love! Haha here's chapter 43.**

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><p><em>{Two Weeks Later, Ouran Private Academy, Music Room #3}<em>

I walk into the music room as usual after school, but this time I'm actually looking for someone. This someone in particular is my boyfriend, Kyoya. I had to come into school early today, since it was the first day of school and I had a couple of things to catch up on, so I emailed Kyoya last night and told him not to pick me up. But then, when I went to class, he wasn't there all day. I didn't even see him at lunch like I usually do. Nope, he'd all but disappeared. So I'm hoping to find him here. It's not like him to miss a Monday.

I walk in and find him nowhere. This is really odd. I just saw him two days ago...where could he possibly be?

"Mari-chan! Good afternoon, my dear princess. It's so wonderful to see you!" I smile at Tamaki, who kisses my hand gently.  
>"Well thank you, Tamaki. Do you, by any chance, know where Kyoya is?" He cocks his head to the side.<br>"I thought he would have told you, Mari-chan. Kyoya is out sick today. Apparently he came down with a fever last night and has had trouble breaking it. With his family's doctor on vacation and his father and brothers out of town, he's been having some trouble finding someone to treat him. He sounded horrible when I talked to him on the phone this morning." I go to say something, but before I can I hear my name.  
>"Excuse me, is Miss Maria in here?" Tamaki brightens at seeing Tachibana standing in the doorway.<br>"Tachibana! Hello, good sir, and welcome. You wish to see Mari-chan, yes?"  
>"Yes, I do, Master Tamaki. Can I speak with her privately?" I walk forward and smile.<br>"Sure. Let's step outside." I say, waving to Tamaki.

"Miss Maria, I have a request to make of you." I nod.  
>"What is it?" Tachibana sighs.<br>"Master Kyoya is sick, and due to certain circumstances, we're having trouble finding someone to take care of him. He's been asking to see you since this morning, but...well, I didn't know if that would be a good idea, since he is running a high fever." I shake my head.  
>"It's no problem, Tachibana. If you want me to come with you, we certainly can. I'm not a doctor, but I've taken care of plenty of fevers in my day. I have two younger siblings I've had to watch over my entire life. If you don't mind running some errands for me, I can have Kyoya better in no time." I say, and he looks relieved.<br>"Anything, Miss Maria, is better than nothing. I can't thank you enough for your kindness. The car is waiting for us, so if you'll follow me, I will take you to see him." I nod and follow his lead.

We get in the car and get all of the way to the mansion. I've never been fully inside Kyoya's house, let alone his room, so this is going to be interesting. Still, he's been in my place a number of times. I'm sure it won't be too different.

"What is it that you need me to get for you, Miss Maria?" I think for a moment.  
>"Well, I have to check his condition first and see what's wrong with him. If there's something more than a fever, getting some medicine to target multiple symptoms is better than getting a ton of different ones. That way we can avoid choking him with pills or making him take nasty liquids. If you wait until I'm done checking him over, I'll be able to tell you exactly what I need." He nods. Then, I remember something I wanted to ask him.<br>"Tachibana, if you don't mind me asking, why did you come to get me in the first place? Are you sure this is okay?" He smiles at me.  
>"Miss Maria, I am fully aware of the relationship between you and Master Kyoya. Everyone close to him knows, but everyone has remained and will continue to remain quiet. He's been asking for you since he woke up this morning. I figured if there was anyone who could at least help him feel the slightest bit better, it would be you." I flush at his casual mention of our relationship, but then nod.<br>"I see. Well, it would have been nice to know that you all knew. That way I wouldn't have felt so weird about it. He never did tell me." I say as Tachibana opens a door.  
>"This is Master Kyoya's quarters. His bedroom is up those stairs." I nod, looking around. He's got his own apartment inside of his house! That's freakin' amazing!<p>

Damn rich kid. Why the hell do you have to have all of this stuff?

I walk to the couch, set my stuff down, and then make my way up the stairs. I see the bed, and the black hair at the top of it. I walk over to the side of the bed and lean over. He's asleep, which is good, but he doesn't look comfortable at all. He's having some trouble breathing, and he's shivering. I lean over and brush the hair off of his forehead, then lean down and kiss it right in the middle, just like my mother told me. He's definitely running a high fever, I'd say about 103. It's definitely not low grade, but it's not really high either. As much as it pains me to wake him, I decide it's better to do anyway.

"Kyoya? Kyoya, wake up. It's me, Maria." I say, and at the mention of my name his eyes pop open. He looks up at me, then tries to sit up, which only makes him dizzy.  
>"Slow down there, cowboy. You're sick. I'm not going anywhere, so stay right where you're at. Lay down, okay?" I say, and he does as he's told. But then he takes my hand. His breathing is still labored.<br>"Do you possibly have a stethoscope somewhere?" He gives me a weird look. I roll my eyes.  
>"My mother's been trained as a vet tech before. Ever since I was little, she's used her stethoscope to check our lungs when we say we're too sick to go to school. That way she could tell if we're lying or not. I want to check to what degree your lungs are filled. So do you have one?" He nods.<br>"Ask Tachibana. He knows where they are." He breathes, and I can hear the scratchiness in his voice.  
>"Is your throat sore?" He nods. I nod.<br>"Okay, and are you coughing at all?" He shakes his head.  
>"Well, if your lungs are filled, then you will. I can tell you're congested. So...coughing, congestion, sore throat, fever...yeah, definitely your common flu bug, without the vomiting it seems. There's not much I can do except make you feel better. I'm not a doctor, after all. But I know a few things that will make the sickness more bearable. I'll be right back. I have to tell Tachibana what I need." I rise, and he takes my hand. I smile at him, then lean over and kiss his forehead.<br>"I'm not going to disappear, promise. I'll be right back." And with that, he lets go of my hand. I go back down the stairs and to see Tachibana rush over to me.

"Well? What is Master Kyoya's status? What does he need?" I laugh.  
>"Calm down, Tachibana. All I need are some blankets, and then if you could find me a stethoscope, paper, and a pencil, I'll give you everything else I need."<br>"How many blankets? I'll have the maids bring them up." I think for a moment.  
>"Well, four should be more than enough." He nods.<br>"Yes, Miss Maria. I'll be right back." He says, then goes into a cabinet and pulls out a stethoscope, paper, and a pen. I write down the three things I need—ibuprofen for the fever, throat drops for the sore throat, and a decongestant with an added coughing formula for everything else—as well as a list of some things that Tachibana should have the chef prepare for Kyoya to eat.  
>"Is there anything else?" I shake my head.<br>"Nope. Two pills and he should be good to go. The throat drops are for soothing his sore throat, which should go away rather quickly. The sooner you get them the faster he'll be feeling better." I say, and Tachibana nods and leaves without a word. I ascend the stairs with the stethoscope and make my way back to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. The thing is huge, to say the least. Probably queen size, maybe even bigger.

"If you can, Kyoya, I need you to slowly sit up for me." I say softly, and he does just that, his back leaning against the headboard. I put a hand between his shoulder blades.  
>"Sit forward a little bit, and when I put this in one spot, take one deep breath in and out." I say, then warm up the stethoscope and place it on his back. I do four spots on his back and four on his chest.<br>"Yeah, you're definitely all clogged up. Tachibana should be here soon with the medicine." I say, and he nods. He runs a hand through his hair, sighing.  
>"Miss, here are the blankets you asked for." I smile at the maids.<br>"Thank you very much. If you would, put them right here next to the bed." They nod and do just that, then bow and leave.  
>"The blankets are for helping your fever break. Once you take the medicine, we need to get you to sweat your fever. Hopefully then the worst of it will go away. I had Tachibana give your chef a list of things for you to eat that will help you get better fastest." He manages to take my hand and kiss the knuckles, and I smile.<br>"You're welcome. I can't believe that your family owns hospitals and they couldn't even find one doctor for you. That's ridiculous." He nods in agreement, and then I manage to get him to lay down again. I grab the thickest blanket and spread it over the top of his bed. I then hear my phone ringing.  
>"I'll be right back." I say, descending the stairs to answer my phone.<p>

"Hey Tori. What's up?" I ask her, and she sounds annoyed.  
>"<em>Where are you and why aren't you and Kyoya at the club? You guys didn't ditch to have steamy sex, did you?" <em>I face-palm. The worst part is, she's totally serious about it.  
>"No, Tori. Kyoya is really sick. His family is out of town and his doctor is on vacation. Tachibana came and got me because Kyoya was asking for me. So I'm taking care of him right now. I'll be home later, okay?"<br>"_Oh...okay. Well, don't take advantage of him. Just because he's sick doesn't mean you can jump him like some pervert."_ I face-palm again. What does she take me for? A skank?  
>"Tori, listen to me. This isn't some cheesy manga or anime. This isn't some Shounen-Ai or Yaoi fantasy, okay? Be realistic." She giggles on the other end.<br>"_I just know how perverted you can be. Remember that I was the one that found you two curled up in the studio New Year's Day. And I'm the one that's subjected to your girlish talk."_  
>"Whatever. I'll be home later. I have to go, so bye." And with that, I hang up. It still makes my heart race when I think of that night. Things were so...weird that night. And Kyoya acts like nothing's changed. Am I the only one who feels so strongly affected by what he said?<p>

_I'm going to make you fall in love with me._

Those words still ring loud and clear in my head. Did he really mean that? Is he really going to go that far? He never seemed like the type of person to do or say something like that. So...what's so different now?

Could I really have changed him into someone else? Could I have really affected him that much?

_I've never been happier in my life than I am now._

It sounds so true...and it makes me so happy. But even still, I have doubts. What if someone comes along to tear us apart? What if suddenly his father found out and banished me from Japan? What if we just...lose interest?

There are so many things I don't know that I have to just...wonder about. Because there's nothing I can do about it.

"Miss Maria, I have brought everything you need." I snap out of my daze and look at Tachibana. I smile.  
>"Thank you, Tachibana. And you even brought water! Thank you so much!" I say, and he nods.<br>"Is there anything else?"  
>"Yes. In about half an hour I need you to bring me some cold water and a soft cloth."<br>"It will be done." I smile and nod.  
>"Thank you, Tachibana. You've been a real help." He nods, but continues to stare at me.<br>"Is...something the matter, Tachibana?"  
>"Miss Maria, forgive me but...is there something that Master Kyoya said to upset you?" I shake my head.<br>"No! No, of course not. Why do you ask?"  
>"You were crying, miss. I was certain he'd upset you. I must have been mistaken." I wipe my face and, sure enough, there are stray tears. I laugh.<br>"Oh, it's nothing. Thank you again." I say, ascending the stairs with both of the boxes of medicine and the bag of throat drops in one hand, the glass of ice water in the other. I set down the water and the throat drops, then stand by the end table and open the boxes. I read them in the sunlight over by the windows, then pop out the pills and sit next to Kyoya.

"Hey, I have the medicine. Can you sit up to take the for me?" He slowly sits up and gulps down the pills and the water. I then pile blankets on him.  
>"Now, when your fever breaks, you're going to be sweating nearly to death. But I'm having Tachibana bring me a cold cloth for you. You have to sweat for at least an hour. When that's done, I'll take the blankets off and you should be okay to shower and move around, if that's what you want. If you do shower, make sure you take one as warm as you can stand so that your sinuses and lungs will relax, that way you won't be dizzy and stuffy anymore. It's best if, sometime in the next few minutes, you fall asleep. That way you won't have to endure the crazy sweat for too long." I say, and he nods. I sit next to him on the bed and watch him, switching between actually watching him or staring at the ceiling. He falls asleep rather quickly, which is good. But I know when he starts to sweat, because the perspiration starts to form on his forehead. Tachibana brings me the water and the rag just in time.<p>

After wringing out the cold cloth slightly, I fold it and place it on his head. Then I watch and wait.

* * *

><p>Tachibana hands everything to Maria and watches as she swiftly takes care of the young master. He stops in his tracks, but it's not because of what Maria's doing to Kyoya. No, in fact, she's not doing anything to him at all except watching him.<p>

But the look on her face is one that makes his heart swell.

It's a moment of completely intimate weakness. She's smiling down at Kyoya, her hands slightly wet from the towel. But she brushes Kyoya's hair out of the way with her fingers anyway. The look in her eyes tells Tachibana all that he could ever want to know and more. He's seen from the way Kyoya talks and acts that she's very important to him. And now he sees the other side. The two of them are happy together. And that makes Tachibana very happy. Her look of pure devotion, admiration, and adoration is a phenomenon in and of itself.

Is that what true love looks like? It must be. There's nothing else he could use to describe it.

He leaves them be, but inside he's happy. He knows that things are going to change, slowly but surely.

* * *

><p>I look back at my watch, and it's been exactly an hour. He's still sleeping, but I don't want him to overheat because of the sweating. So I gently shake him.<p>

"Kyoya? Hey, can you get up?" I ask him softly. But it's like he doesn't even hear me.  
>"Hey, are you listening to me? It's time for you to get up. If you don't you're going to overheat." I say, but again, I'm ignored. I start to pull away one blanket at a time, folding them up neatly. I get all of them off of him and then remove the cloth on his forehead.<br>"Come on, Kyoya, for real? I'm being serious here. You need to get up." I say, and then his eyes open. He sits up slowly, stretching. Then, without a word, he gets up, gathers some clothes, and leaves. I hear a door shut, and then water running.

Well, that was weird. Still, he did what I wanted him to do.

I make his bed and then set the blankets to the side. The maids come and take away the blankets, change Kyoya's sheets, and then take away the cloth and the now room-temp water.

"Miss Maria?" I look up and see Tachibana.  
>"Yes?"<br>"It seems the chef is lost on how to make the things you've described. He's asking for you to come and explain yourself a little more." I nod and stand.  
>"Oh, alright. Let's go then." I say, but Tachibana looks wary.<br>"What about Master Kyoya?" He asks, concerned that Kyoya will freak out about my being gone. I shake my head in assurance.  
>"He'll be fine. What we're going to make isn't going to take long. I will be back in no time, provided I don't get lost." I say, which makes Tachibana almost smirk. I saw his mouth quirk a little, so that's how I know.<br>"I will be there to escort you back to Master Kyoya's room in exactly twenty minutes. Is that enough time?" I nod.  
>"That's perfect, actually. I should definitely be done by then. So...where's the kitchen?"<p>

* * *

><p>When Kyoya walks out of the bathroom, he's already feeling much better. His sore throat is nearly gone, his sinuses aren't stuffed anymore, and his chest already feels much lighter. And he's not freezing to death. She really knew what she was talking about. He'd have to ask her how she knew so much.<p>

She didn't have to come and help him. But she did anyway, because his family was so incompetent as to forget that he also needs care. Stupid on their part, but there's nothing he can do about it. He could have called any doctor, but it's clear that it wasn't needed. It was just a cold. And with him nearly completely taken care of by Maria, he should be fine.

* * *

><p>"Oh, you're out. Good, I just got back from the kitchen." I say as I walk back up to Kyoya's room. I sit next to him and hand him the soup that I'd helped the chef make. It's my mother's homemade chicken and vegetable soup. It's chock full of vegetables, chicken breast, and all of the good things needed to heal someone as fast as possible. My mother's exact words, actually.<br>"You didn't have to do this, Maria. Thank you." I shake my head.  
>"It's no big deal. I've been taking care of my sisters since I was younger than Ana's age. I was the stand-in mama when my mother was working as a vet-tech somewhere in there a few years ago. So I had to make sure they were well taken care of. It's no big deal, really." I say.<br>"I'm not contagious anymore, am I?" I shake my head.  
>"Your fever shouldn't return unless you don't take care of yourself. But now that your fever's gone, you should be fine." I say. He sets down the soup and grabs my hand.<br>"Good. Then I won't get you sick." He says, pulling me closer to him and kissing me. It's not meant in any other way than gratitude, but it still makes my heart swell. He then embraces me closely, and I can't help smiling.

"Kyoya, are you—oh, hello Maria!" I see Fuyumi and jump up from the bed to hug her.  
>"Hello, Fuyumi. How are you?" I ask her, and she smiles.<br>"Well, Tachibana told me that Kyoya was sick! I was worried, but I was also busy, so I couldn't get here right away. And then I come here and I find you here! How is Kyoya?"  
>"I'm right here, Fuyumi." Kyoya says, and I can't help giggling a little. She's acting as if he isn't even there, which I find absolutely hilarious.<br>"Oh, he's doing much better now. As you can see, he's back to pretty much normal. He's much better than he was before." I say, and she smiles.  
>"And I'm sure it's all thanks to you, isn't it? Oh, you two are so adorable." I flush a little. Does she know? This is getting more and more dangerous for us. I guess he's okay with her knowing, then. I wish he'd tell me who knows and who doesn't.<br>"Fuyumi..." Kyoya says in an annoyed tone. She pouts in return.  
>"What, Kyoya? I just came to check on you. I wanted to make sure you weren't pushing yourself too hard. But it seems Maria beat me to it. That's too bad...I was looking forward to taking care of you!"<br>"You would have just made it worse." He says, cutting her off at the knees. It makes me laugh.  
>"Well, I'll leave you two be, then. It seems you were busy anyway." I flush again and she waves.<br>"Ta-ta now! It was great seeing you again!" I nod and wave back, then sit next to Kyoya on the bed again. I hear clacking and turn to see him on his computer. Where did he get that thing? Did he pull it out of his butt or something?

Whatever. I'd rather not know, in all honesty.

"You should really be resting, Kyoya." I say, and he nods.  
>"I realize that. But there are a couple of things I must go through first. After all, I wasn't at the club today...I have to be prepared for when I come back. God knows that idiot doesn't have any skills with numbers." I giggle and slide up next to him, looking at the computer screen. I cock an eyebrow because he's using a really outdated program and doing too much work. And he's not using any shortcuts. Where did this kid learn accounting?<br>"Is there something rather intriguing about what I'm doing? I don't seem to recall there be anything fascinating about accounting work." I shrug.  
>"I don't know, I was just a little confused. You're using an old program, and you're not using any shortcuts and formulas. I thought you would know how to do it, but I guess not. Where did you learn accounting?" I ask, and he just looks at me as if I'm an alien. What? I'm not talking out of my ass. My mother has a degree in accounting. She taught me how to do taxes when I was, like, 13. She taught me how to budget when I was even younger than that. It's just a given when you're as tight on money as my family is.<br>"Do you think you could do better? If so, by all means, show me." I nod and take the computer. I don't think he was taking me seriously, but in a few minutes I have an updated program and have put all of his spreadsheets into the new program. I'm reworking the data and punching in the numbers, and I'm doing it extremely fast.

"There. All done." I say, handing it back. He just stares at me for a really long time before he goes to look at the screen. He looks through it and then puts a hand over his mouth in thought.  
>"Show me what you did." I can't help smiling. I take a couple of moments to explain to him the shortcuts and formulas my mother uses, and then he tries them out himself.<br>"It seems I've been doing too much work. Thank you for assisting me." I nod.  
>"It's no problem." I say, leaning back against the headboard. It's not like it was hard or anything.<br>"Can I ask you a favor?" I shrug.  
>"Sure." I say, smiling at him.<br>"Well, if I show you how I manage the club's finances, would you do just that for me tomorrow? I may not attend school and I need to make sure that I have the financial information on a day to day basis." I nod.  
>"Sure. Show me the ropes and I'll do it." I say. He leans over and kisses my cheek.<br>"Thank you." He says. I can only smile a little to myself.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's it darlings! I hope you liked this chapter, because I definitely do. <strong>

**Much love!**

**~B-chan**


	44. The 43rd Annual Ouran Fair Part 1

**Wow...long time no see, my darlings!**

**First, I would like to thank my reviewers from the last chapter! Thanks so much to MegatronLove, Half-Angel-Writer, AnimeRomantic4Ever, and AhhMyLife for giving me reviews, I greatly appreciate it!a**

**Also, I would like to thank those that favorited/alerted this story. Thanks to OtakuReid, AceinWonderLand, 22wolfgirl, Bizzy777, and .Individuality for your favorites/alerts. I appreciate it so much!**

**So...well, it's been exactly two weeks to the day since I published a chapter. It feels like an eon ago, even if it's only two weeks. As you know, I am in college, so I've had a lot of work and projects the last few weeks. Topped with my mother thinking about divorce and my inability to stop playing League of Legends with my friends, I have had a lot on my plate. Still, I'm in a great mood because I'm crushing on one of my friends pretty hard and I'm looking forward to our days ahead as friends...and possibly more ^.^**

**Needless to say, your author is very happy, and as such it's been hard for me to write because the part after this one is really sad, and I just can't channel any sadness right now. My lack of time, combined with the lack of inspiration, has made me go a little stagnant. I will still be writing, my loves, but it will be a slower process that you are used to, I assure you. Stick with me! I love you all and I thank you all so much for the support thus far! I have not abandoned you, I am just spread really thin at this point.**

**Thank you all and enjoy chapter 44!**

* * *

><p><em>{That Thursday}<em>

After I walk into class, since I had to be here early, I'm happy to see that Kyoya managed to make it to school today. It seems that he's been a bit stuffy, but since I took care of him he's gotten better in no time at all. I took my afternoons on Tuesday and Wednesday to manage the club's finances while he was away. I guess that he's never really been sick before, because everyone was so surprised to see me sitting in his usual place in the club. Nevertheless he was thankful that I managed to do the financing without a hitch.

Today, however, it seems that we aren't going to be having classes. Tomorrow either, for that matter. Apparently there's some spring fair that's supposed to be going on. Given that it's still January, I found this odd, but it has been really nice and mild the last week and some. Mild days and nights, and it feels like spring has come really quickly. Everyone decided that it was time to host this fair. I, in my infinite wisdom, agreed to hold an exhibition of my art as part of the fair, but now I'm beginning to regret it. I've been working my butt off at home to get some newer works done, but doing the art is just so strenuous when you're doing so many things at once.

It's like a flashback to when I went to high school in America and did band, choir AND art all at the same time. No time to relax. Nevertheless it's all getting done, a little at a time.

As I'm setting up today for the opening ceremony, a couple of the other artists walk in and start helping me. We get it done in no time at all. I'm glad that I have help, because I don't really like doing everything myself. When I end up finishing, I stretch and turn to the ones that helped me.

"Maria, if you want, you can head over to the host club. We know you're busy with them, and we can handle the exhibition." They're a couple of first years, so I'm a little hesitant, but I've also worked with them before. They know how I like things run. I've given them lessons and even led their studios before. I guess I trust them enough.  
>"You guys okay with that? I would hate to just ditch you." They just beam at me.<br>"We would love to! It'll test our knowledge on your artwork, Maria." I give them a look.  
>"Why would you need to 'test your knowledge' about my artwork?" One of them giggles.<br>"Your artwork is going to be famous one day. Everyone is going to want a painting at some point. If we know your artwork and your biography, then we'll be ahead of the game. To think we're witnessing a famous person in the making!" I just flush a little at this and laugh at them nervously. Wow, these kohai really have some confidence in me.  
>"A-alright, if you say so. I trust you. Keep things going smoothly, okay?" They both nod feverishly as I leave and make my way to the central building's main salon.<br>When I get outside however, I am bombarded by a bunch of squealing girls.  
>"Oh my gosh, Mari-chan! You have to get over to the central salon, quick! There's a sight to behold—the boys of the host club are riding in a period-style carriage together! It's not something to be missed! Oh, they look so handsome sitting in the carriage together!" I laugh a little, then nod and make my way past them. They tail me all the way to where the scene is taking place. How do I know that it is? Well, for one, there's this huge crowd of girls gathered around in the main plaza. Secondly, it's kind of hard to miss the horses, which are being led by Hikaru and Mori-sempai. The rest of the host club—minus my sister and I—are sitting in the back of the carriage. It's cute, but I'm not affected by the power of...what are they screaming? Of, 'moe'. The power of moe is not strong with me. That and I know them in a much more intimate light than most of these girls do. So I know what they're really like.<p>

I just shake my head with a laugh and head over to the main salon. I pass the small plaza where my sister is setting up with the orchestra to play something for the opening ceremony. As expected, she's first chair violin and has been put in charge of everyone. I hear her yelling and giggle. She's really a heathen to deal with in an ensemble.

I get to the central salon and head to the back, where I see a bunch of costumes lined up. I decide that it's probably best just to wait for the others, and start wandering through the salon. It's absolutely huge! But I suppose if we're going to be entertaining parents—and a whole bunch of them at that—the place we're going to be at should be large.

"I see you're here. Aren't you supposed to be in the west salon? Your art gallery is there." I nod to Kyoya as he walks into the salon.  
>"I should be, but a couple of first years offered to watch the gallery for me so I could come over here. They were practically forcing me to leave. Something about...my being famous or whatever." I say as I shrug and roll my eyes.<br>"Well, I happened to pull costumes for everyone, including you and your sister. Just in case the two of you happened to show up some time or other today." I nod as he puts a hand on my lower back and guides me to the changing room, where I had just been to look at the costumes.  
>"This one is the one that we hosts will be wearing today. You and your sister will be wearing this, however." I look at the dress as he pulls it out and hands it to me.<br>"_...This looks like something you'd get at a corny adult store."_ I say under my breath in English, shaking my head. It's a damned maid's costume.  
>"I won't wear it. Sorry, but I don't feel comfortable with the idea of wearing something that's glorified kink wear." I say, crossing my arms and glaring at him. He just laughs.<br>"Hmm, well, I thought you would say that. However, I feel your sister will be more than happy with it. I got this for you instead." He pulls out a costume that is women's black slacks, a short-sleeved white button up, and a black and gray peppered vest.  
>"This suits you much more, hmm?" I nod, taking it.<br>"Very much. Thank you." I say, disappearing behind one of the curtains.

I change quickly—feeling awkward that he's literally five feet away from me as I do—and then step out.

"So? What do you think?" I ask, turning around and looking at myself in the mirror.  
>"I suppose you don't have shoes to wear, do you?" I shake my head, noticing that the pants are long enough to nearly cover my feet. Where did he get these pants? I need four pairs of these! They're so comfortable...<br>"Good thing I thought of that beforehand." I take the black, strappy heels from his hands and slip them on, buckling them. I stand up and smile.  
>"Well, that's nice. I kind of like this. I hope you'll be wearing dress shoes. I'm taller than you in these things. Barely, but still." I say, and he just chuckles.<br>"Of course. Now, you should probably step out. The rest of the club has to change, too." I nod and leave my stuff together in a small, folded pile in the corner, next to the sofa.

I wait outside for a bit, and then they all appear before me looking really spiffy. I smile at them and give them a thumbs up.

"Looking good, guys. Really good!" I say, and they smile. Haruhi steps out after the rest, and I smile at her.  
>"You look great, Maria." I nod to her.<br>"So do you. If I didn't know any better, I'd be convinced that you really were a boy." I say, and she just laughs at me.

Before I know it, things are getting well underway. I've got many parents around me, talking to me. Yuzuha—the twins' mother—had stopped by to say hello to me and to tell me that she loves the art gallery.

"Really? So things are going over well?" I ask, and she nods.  
>"Very well, in fact! The two girls managing the salon are doing a great job, and it seems you're the one everyone's talking about!" I just shake my head with a bit of a flush.<br>"No, that's not true..." I say, embarrassed. I didn't think I would have this much of an impact. But I guess I did.  
>"Tell me, there's a painting I purchased that looks absolutely stunning. It's the one that you painted that was abstract...tell me, what was your inspiration for that piece?" An older man asks me. I smile.<br>"That painting is called 'Metamorphosis Dreams'. I really like it because, when I actually made that piece, it was inspired by the idea that, when we dream, our dreams morph in different ways. They fade in and out of pitch black, and as the colors dim and come back into focus they give an abstract and ethereal quality to our dreams." I say, and he smiles at me.  
>"Well said, young lady! I'm impressed. For a common girl, you are certainly smart and talented." I smile at the 'common girl' part, only because I don't want to sit there and get angry over something that's just...well, common. At least when referring to my sister and I.<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>~*At the Art Gallery*~<strong>_

The gallery was busy as everyone who was anyone was checking out all of the paintings up on display. It was hardly a few hours past the start of the fair in the morning, and all of the paintings were already purchased. A pile of requests at least a quarter of an inch thick lay on the information desk where two girls sat. The two girls were the kohais Maria had entrusted her gallery to.

A middle-aged man walks into the art gallery with a couple of his peers in the middle of a conversation, unaware of where they're walking. However, when that part of the conversation ends, he becomes aware of what's around him and becomes silent. He stops and stares at a painting that's caught his attention, one that is particularly captivating, beautiful, and interesting. He recognizes it as the beaches of his villa in Okinawa. It's well done and breathtaking.

"Ah, are you fond of art?" One of his peers asks. He shakes his head.  
>"Not particularly. Though I must say...this artist is definitely something. Tell me...who is it?"<br>"Her name is Maria, I believe. She's in the same class your son, and she's very bright. She's done commissioned portraits for my entire family. She spent two days at our villa doing my family's portraits."  
>"Your family's pictures are portraits? They look like photographs." The jovial man puts up a finger and wiggles it, tutting to his friend.<br>"Ah, but they are not. I assure you that she is the genuine article. I watched her do them with my own eyes, Yoshio, and she is no slouch. Amazing girl, and spunky to boot. She's got a lot of fire and passion." The jovial man says, laughing boisterously. It's clear this girl amuses him.  
>"Hmm...fire and passion? I think...I want to meet this girl." The Otori patriarch says absently as he continues on with his friends. His interest and attention was caught hook, line and sinker.<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>~*Later, Central Building, Main Salon: The Host Club is Open for Business!*~<strong>_

The throngs of people going to and fro are immense. It seems as if every girl brought their parents to the host club. I noticed that Tamaki's father walked in—the chairman, whom I'm familiar with—and I see Tori's longing gaze. At some point or another she'd appeared here for business, escaping her duties as principal violinist to host and be close to Tamaki. I know that it's hard for her and Tamaki, since they'd both like nothing more than to be in the open. But, like with Kyoya and I, they have to keep things as secret as possible.

"You seem to be enjoying staring off into space." I hear Kyoya say, and even though it startled me a little, I just laugh.  
>"Sorry, I was just thinking."<br>"Well, it seems the Mori-sempai and Honey-sempai need more tea and cake. Would you be so kind as to retrieve it?" He asks me. I simply shrug and roll my eyes.  
>"Why am I not surprised?" I say, and this makes Kyoya chuckle as he walks away from me.<p>

I walk toward the serving table, grab some cake and tea, and make my way to my sempais' table.

"Thanks, Mari-chan! We needed that!" Honey-sempai says, and I laugh.  
>"I'm sure you did." I say, setting down the cake. I turn to Mori-sempai and smile.<br>"Enjoying yourself, Sempai?" I ask him, and he turns to look at me.  
>"Takashi." I cock an eyebrow.<br>"What?"  
>"My name. It's Takashi. You're the same age as me, so you can call me Takashi." He says, and I flush. I think that's the first time I've heard him say more than one or two words. I then laugh it off.<br>"Oh, okay. I guess...that'll take some getting used to. But thank you for the privilege." I say, and he just smiles back with the smallest of smiles. It warms my heart, nevertheless, because as much of a stoic giant as he comes off as being, I know he's a great person. Even if we're the same age, I still see him as my older brother. He just has that quality about him.

Suddenly, a loud sound resonates throughout the room, and I look behind me. I see Kyoya's glasses fall off of his face as a man—the one who slapped him—steps forward.

"Is this how my son has been wasting his time?" I hear the man say, menacingly, as Kyoya stoops to pick up his glasses.

This man must be...Kyoya's father. But then...if he's his father, why would he hit his son? This doesn't make any sense! It's not as if Kyoya did anything wrong! He just...

Why am I suddenly so angered by this? I just...I have to...oh, I'll give him a piece of my mind!

However, as I start forward, I'm rendered immobile by someone's arms.

"Mori-sem—I mean, Takashi, let me go!"  
>"No. This isn't something you should get involved in. It will only make things worse for Kyoya." I hear him say firmly, yet calmly.<br>"That's Kyo-chan's father, isn't it?" I hear Honey-sempai say. I wish...I wish that Mori-sempai had let me go. I wanted to...I should have said something! I needed to say something!  
>"Yes." Mori-sempai answers.<br>"You are an embarrassment to the Otori name." I hear Kyoya's father say, and I start forward again. I don't go anywhere because of Mori-sempai's arms, which only makes me angrier.  
>"Dammit, Mori, let me go!" I say, but he only remains silent and holds me there.<p>

I don't know how long I stand there, or how angry I am during that time, but when I come back to I'm sitting at one of the tables. I see Kyoya leave the room, and I feel suddenly very...depressed? No, that's not the word I was looking for. Maybe...anxious?

Yeah, that's it. I'm anxious. I should go see him, see if he's alright. That way I can figure out what that was all about. I jump up from my seat, go to the serving station, fill a cup to the brim with ice and then put some water in it, just to frost the glass. I slip out unnoticed and make my way to the fitting room, where I see Kyoya sitting on one of the couches in thought. His eyes are closed, but I step into the room anyway with a soft knock to alert him to my presence. I leave the door ajar a bit, figuring that no one followed me.

"Hey." I say softly. He just looks up at me.  
>"...What are you doing?" He asks me. I just shake my head and walk up next to him.<br>"Here. For your face." I say, handing him the iced glass. He looks at it, then takes it. He presses it to his face with a bit of a wince. It must have really hurt.  
>"...Thank you. You certainly didn't have to do this." I just shake my head and sit down next to him.<br>"It's fine. It's the least I could do after not standing up for you." I say. He gives me a look, but I just ignore it.  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"I wanted to run up there and give your father a piece of my mind. But Mori-sempai stopped me and wouldn't let me go to you. I hated that...being unable to stand up for you. That's not right...no man should ever hit his children." I say, looking at my hands in my lap. He just sighs, shaking his head.  
>"What happens between my father and I isn't something you should be concerned about, Maria. I was expecting that to happen." I shake my head.<br>"It doesn't matter, Kyoya. Think about how that made me feel! All I can wonder now is...what happens if he finds out about us?" He just shakes his head, setting down the glass on the end table next to him.  
>"Nothing is going to happen, Maria. Calm down, alright? Things are just fine." I shake my head.<br>"I don't want to be a burden to you, Kyoya, and I don't want to cause more problems for you." He shakes his head.  
>"I promise that you won't. So stop worrying about it, alright?" I just give him a look, but he smiles and leans over, kissing me.<br>"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Things will work out. You'll see." He says, and even though I'm angry about what happened, somehow I believe him. I lean against him for a moment in silence. Then, he stands.  
>"I suppose we better get back. That way we're not missed too terribly. It's too conspicuous otherwise." I nod and stand, and an arm surrounds me to rest on my lower back. Kyoya pulls me close, and I put my hands gently on his chest.<br>"...I think they can wait a little bit longer." I say, leaning in and kissing him. He smirks against the kiss, then loses himself in it. I do the same thing and lean against him. He holds me close as I surround his neck with my arms. His tongue penetrates my mouth, and with this a hand travels up the back of his neck to twine a bit in his hair. I pull him closer this way, and he just obliges.  
>I don't know how long we stand there, but it's a while. I feel a tug on my shirt and nearly yelp, which breaks us apart.<br>"...Um...okay." I say, tucking my shirt back into my dress pants. That was really weird, and super awkward. Wow, I don't think I'd ever been so surprised in my life.  
>"I think we both got carried away." He says, and I nod in agreement.<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>~*Outside the room*~<strong>_

Little does the couple know, there's a young boy standing outside of the room, watching with fervor the scene before him. On his head is a ball cap, and though he'd seem out of place most other days, today the parents were all over the place with their other kids. He didn't stand out at all.

"_Did you see that, sis?" _ The boy asks in Spanish. The ear piece in his ear responds, and he nods.  
>"<em>So I did well then?" <em> More Spanish, more response. The young boy smiles.  
>"<em>Okay. I'll leave now." <em>He says as someone chuckles in his ear.

* * *

><p><em><strong>~*Later*~<strong>_

When we're out among the throng of people again, I see the front entrance open and walk toward it. The entire host club seems...enamored by what they see. An older woman walks through, and Tamaki goes forward to greet her.

"Aw, that's so sweet! So, that's Tamaki-sempai's grandmother?" Haruhi asks as everyone stands around, and I walk forward to join Mori-sempai and Tori. Kyoya comes up next to me, and we all look in the same direction: toward Tamaki's grandmother.  
>"I hate that woman." Honey-sempai says, and immediately I freeze. That's not something you hear Honey-sempai say. Not at all.<br>"Please come in. Take a seat." Tamaki says politely. The older woman walks past him a ways.  
>"Don't patronize me. Filthy child." She says, and a bit of my heart twinges. I clench my fist, and the only thing that manages to calm me is Kyoya's hand on my shoulder. I see Tori next to me, staring at Tamaki, her eyes pitying him. This must really hurt her...to see things like this. To see someone as sweet and forgiving and kind as Tamaki get torn down by someone who's supposed to care about him. If anyone knows how that feels, it would be us.<p>

My heart aches for him. It really does.

"Lady Eclair, come over here for a moment, please." The older woman says. A beautiful girl with striking cerulean eyes and long, dirty blonde hair walks into view.

When did she get here? How long has she been here? I definitely would have noticed someone that beautiful if they'd walked in here...so how did I miss her?

"For the remainder of today and tomorrow, you will be Lady Eclair's personal escort." Eclair smiles at Tamaki, looking him over, before his grandmother speaks again.  
>"What's wrong? I gave you an order." She says firmly, and I can see that Tamaki is a still a bit stunned by what's going on. I see Tori standing there, shaking, and I reach over to grab her hand. I hold it firmly, and she squeezes it back. I try to let her know that it'll be okay, and she calms down a little. This must really hurt for her to see.<br>"Hello there, Tamaki." Eclair says, looking through her opera glasses. Tamaki stands there, and for a moment I think I see something sad pass over his face. Then, a fake smile appears on his face, and Tori's grip tightens. Now she's angry. It's clear that Tamaki's discomfort is aggravating her.  
>"Very well, grandmother. I will do everything in my power to ensure her happiness, just as you wish." Tamaki says in a chipper tone that sounds all too much like it's forced. This seriously can't be happening. We're going to lose our king! This isn't good at all!<br>"Come, my princess. Let us be off." Tamaki says, and Tori turns briskly in the opposite direction. She walks quickly out of the room and back into the changing room. As Hikaru starts to go after her, I stop him.

"She just needs to be alone, Hikaru. She's not like me...she does better when she's alone. Give her a few minutes and she'll be alright, I promise." I say, and he nods sadly. I see that he's altogether partial to my sister. They're like brother and sister, actually. He looks after her like a hawk, and in turn she's always been kind to him. I suppose that's a good thing, but Tori recovers better when alone. She doesn't like people to see her upset, and if she can hide it, that's all the more better for her.

I assemble at a table with the twins, Honey-sempai, and Mori-sempai. Haruhi brings over some cake and tea as Kyoya sits down at a table beside us and drums away on the laptop.

"Tama-chan isn't coming back, is he?" Honey-sempai asks, though I think the question's more rhetorical than anything.  
>"So does he really plan to spend—"<br>"—the entire festival escorting some stranger?" The twins say, and I put a hand on Kyoya's shoulder as I look on his laptop.  
>"Eclair, right? Or something like that..." Hikaru says indifferently.<br>"Who is she to him? That's the mystery." Kaoru says, and I scratch my head.

Eclair...Eclair...it can't be Eclair Tonnerre, could it? I mean...the Tonnerre family is French royalty. They do a lot of United States business. I remember hearing about them in the news, I think. Their daughter, I guess? I don't know, for some reason that just sticks in my head...

Oh! I've got it! The Tonnerre family was a huge corporation that sponsored the California National Arts Exhibition. It's the same exhibition that got my foot in the door at Ouran. I remember the seminar we had on the Tonnerre family, and in my high school French classes we learned a lot about them and their history. They're very prolific in all fields of business, from the arts to education and foreign affairs especially. The entire family was there, I know that much, and now that I think about it, I remember her face. I remember sitting in the third row, in the middle, where she was practically in front of me on the stage with her family.

"...I know who she is." I say, and everyone looks at me weird.  
>"How would <em>you<em> know her, Mari-chan?" Kaoru asks me, and I shrug.  
>"Her family sponsored the art exhibition that got my foot in the door here at Ouran. I remember the seminar we'd had to attend, and now that I think about it, I remember her face from where I was sitting. Her name's Eclair Tonnerre, and she's the youngest daughter of the family. Her family's royalty, and really wealthy." Kyoya nods.<br>"Indeed. The family has quite a history. Their wealth is something of a legend among financial heavyweights. In fact, just being associated with them makes you part of a very elite group. They also own Grand Tonnerre, a firm that's been buying up a lot of businesses in Japan recently. Of course, that doesn't explain why Lady Eclair has come to visit Tamaki." Kyoya explains, and I nod.

This is getting strange. What could be the reason she's here? If this turns out to be just some silly farce, I'm going to be pissed. But if there's more to this...I don't know what to do. Tori would be devastated if anything happened to Tamaki. I just know it.

"Maria, the other costumes for you and your sister are hanging in the changing room. Why don't the two of you change first, and when your done we'll follow suit?" I nod, slipping from Kyoya's side to get to the changing room.

* * *

><p>When I walk in, I see Tori sitting on the couch. I rap the doorway to get her attention, and she looks up at me.<p>

"What?" She asks, and it's clear that she's been crying.  
>"...Kyoya told me to have you change. I have to as well." I say, and she nods. She sniffs, wipes her eyes, and then stands. I walk over to her, and then her arms surround me. I'm surprised, but I just hold her gently as she cries. She's not openly affectionate with me, nor does she ever try to be. This must be really difficult for her to swallow if she's acting this way.<br>"...Maria, this isn't fair! How...what...what's going on?" I shake my head and stroke her hair as I hold her.  
>"Tori, no one really knows. I think we'll just have to wait it out. I'm sorry about all of this...but don't worry. Things will work out. They always do." I tell her, and she nods. We stand there a little longer, and then I move away to pull out our next costumes. We both change, and we're wearing cream-colored women's suits with pink blouses and a dark red tie. Cream heels complete the outfit, and Tori steps out with her hair done half up, half down. She has yet to smile, but I'm sure that will come with time. Tamaki will be back soon enough, and she'll have the smile back on her face in no time at all.<p>

We all change and get back into the swing of things rather quickly. Still, things seem so empty throughout the entire day...it's like everything doesn't make sense. We manage to get through the day, and I make a quick trip out of the salon and then back in when the day is over. When I walk in...scene before me seems grim.

Then, the front door to the salon opens as I walk up next to Kyoya. We all stand there and watch as Tamaki and Eclair come into view.

"Tama-chan!" Honey-sempai cries out as all of us give him our complete attention. His eyes fall on Tori, which I'm sure everyone except Eclair plainly sees, and the pain that flashes through his eyes sets my heart racing. What could have happened?  
>"Everyone, I have an important announcement. As of today, Lady Eclair and I are officially engaged. Furthermore, the Host Club will be permanently dissolved after the Ouran Fair. That is all." He says, and then he's just...gone. They leave, just like that. No explanation, no reasons, just...bam.<p>

As soon as he's gone, I look over to Tori almost instinctively. At first, she seems stoic and in shock. Then I see the tears fall, and she bolts. This time, when Hikaru goes after her, I don't stop him. I just clench my fists and try to remain as calm as I possibly can. I just...want to know why. I want to know what's going to happen to all of us now.

What's this going to do to the rest of the club? Our friendships? Tori's heart?

So many questions that I don't have answers for. Only Kyoya's arms around me manage to bring me back to reality. I hug him back, leaning against him.

"What's going to happen, Kyoya? What do we do now?" He sighs, shaking his head and holding me closer.  
>"I don't know what's going to happen. I suppose we'll have to continue what we're doing now, and hope that something turns around before tomorrow is over." I sigh, breaking away from him. I cross my arms and begin to pace.<br>"The real thing I'm wondering is...how Tori's going to take this. I mean...I'm so worried for her. She fell hard...this has got to be breaking her heart. She'll be inconsolable for who knows how long. And there's nothing I can do. I think that hurts more than anything else." I say, gesticulating as I pace a small portion of the room. A hand brushes over mine, which stops me in my tracks.  
>"She will pull through, with time. If this is the way things have to be, it's better that they're this way now and not further down the line. At least they didn't get any more involved." I nod in agreement, but my mind is still on Tori.<p>

Will she be able to pull through?

* * *

><p><strong>OMG so much drama and sadness! I am such a horrible person to my poor characters. T_T<strong>

**So, my lovelies, that is chapter 44! I look forward to what you have to say and hope that you will be understanding in the weeks to come and the sparse updates. Please don't be too mad at me...**

**Forever yours, **

**~B-chan**


	45. The 43rd Annual Ouran Fair Part 2

**Hello, my darlings! My lovelies! My beautiful, wonderful readers! Oh, how I have missed you...T_T**

**First off, I'd like to dedicate this chapter first to my reviewers. Thanks so much to _AnimeRomantic4Ever, Half-Angel-Writer, Emily Rose Eldrich, MegatronLove, Cheli-chan, EowynAhsokaLover, _and_ bookwormqueen7_ for their lovely reviews over the last two weeks. Thank you darlings!**

**I would also like to thank the TON of people who favorited/alerted this story and or me. Thanks so much to_ My Silver Angel Wings, Cheli-chan, Dreamer Naos, melodyladygunslinger, 1990chance, bookwormqueen7, deidaralover1234, MoonDancer89, Alex Bloody Rabbit, BethBliss, RoronoaZoroIsNeverLost, BonjourDarling,_ and _specialagent9992_ for your favorites and/or alerts to this story and/or me. You guys are great and make me so, so happy.**

**So first off, a bit of a timeline and an update for you guys. My mother has filed for divorced and my father should be served the papers later this week. Not only that, but I had midterms this past week and, coupled with my inability to stop play League of Legends, I have been bogged down. I've only been able to write a couple of sentences, so I'm slow to update so that I still stay ahead of you guys. Coupled with the fact that I am now trying to develop a romantic relationship between me and one of my close friends, the stress is starting to overwhelm me...but in a good way. I'm happy, ecstatic really, and so much is going right for the first time in a long time. It felt good to tell my friends that I'm no longer moving. They were so happy about it, too. I don't think I've been this happy in my entire life, guys. This part of the year has been so wonderful for me.**

**I love you guys and hope you'll stick with me as I push through the semester. I'll be writing a whole lot more during the summer, but for now updates will be slow and gradual. I know you guys will love and treasure them regardless, so thank you all so much for sticking with me. Here's chapter 45!**

* * *

><p><em>{Next Day}<em>

With the host club underway, things seem to be going more or less as they have been. Their king is missing, but that's due to Eclair's strict order for Tamaki not to have contact with his friends.

Said girl is currently sitting amongst the throng of people who, at this point, aren't paying too much attention to her. She's eying a particularly interesting girl, one that seems to be a problem for her. She motions Kyoya over, and he greets her with kindness.

"Welcome, madamoiselle. Is there anything I can get for you?"  
>"Yes, I want to talk to that one, over there. Vittoria, I think is her name?" Kyoya, unabashed even if he's internal wary and surprised, nods to her.<br>"At once. Tori, you're needed." The girl looks up, looking in Kyoya's direction. Her eyes then alight on the girl who's next to him, and immediately her mood sours and her stomach cramps. Her heart aches and her throat clenches up. She feels like crying. But she puts on a brave, happy face and stands, walking over to the table and sitting down.

"Well, this is new. I've never been requested before! What can I do for you?" She says as chipper as she can manage.  
>"Well, you're rather happy today. I'm surprised, considering how much my Tamaki means to you. After all, the two of you were lovers, am I right?" Tori's face betrays nothing. Her poker face has always been rock solid. Maria would attest to that. Nothing would test her patience or her resolve. But Tori was certain this girl would be the first to prove that wrong. She was enraged inside of her head. Absolutely livid. This girl would pay for imposing. And she'd be sweet the entire way.<br>"I'm not certain that 'lovers' is the appropriate term, but yes, we were romantically involved...somewhat." Tori admits. Be truthful. She chants those same two words over and over in her head. Be truthful.  
>"Only somewhat? Interesting. I was under the impression that you were in love with my Tamaki. I guess I was mistaken. Still, it's better that the two of you aren't involved, anyway." Tori cocks her head to the side, her fake pleasant smile still on her face.<br>"Why do you say that?" Eclair stares her down.

"Well, I'm marrying him, of course. But also, you're just a commoner. Without good pedigree or money you could never hope to marry anyone of our world. It's funny how your sister has seemed to forget that. I don't think she realizes just how dangerous it is for her to see that Otori boy. It's good that you were forced out of it early. That way you won't have to deal with the repercussions that your sister will. It should make you happy." Tori's teeth grind, but she keeps her smile in place and gives away nothing.  
>"In all honesty, I believe love transcends classes and pedigrees. Maybe someone of royal blood wouldn't believe me, but it's obvious that many other people do. I'm sorry you're so misguided in your beliefs. Must be all of that royalty and wealth going to your head." Tori says in a sweet tone. It's clear she's being derogatory on purpose. This makes the French girl's eyes narrow, but she only sighs.<br>"You don't get it, do you? Nothing you say or do is going to make me change my mind. Or Tamaki's, for that matter. He must not have cared about you too much if he was able to dump you off like he did." This makes Tori falter. She grits her teeth and, without a word, rises from the table.  
>"It's clear all you want to do is rub it in my face. If that's what you want, save it. I'm not interested." Tori says, walking toward her sister.<p>

"Maria, I'll be in your art gallery if you need me. I can't be here...I'm sorry." Her sister understands and nods.  
>"Of course. We'll be here if you need anything." Maria says.<p>

I watch Tori walk away from me, and I can see she's worried and very, very upset. I can only sigh and continue what I'm doing. I have no power over the situation, so I'm forced to sit here and just watch her get hurt. When will it ever end? Will it ever end? Will this ever be resolved, or is Tamaki really going to just...leave us?

My guess is that only time will tell.

* * *

><p>Time goes on, and everything blurs. The hustle and bustle of our entertainment seems so busying, I hardly notice Kyoya's father walk into the room with another man, who looks to be his father's secretary. He walks past Kyoya and begins to speak.<p>

"When they're young, many assume they have all the time in the world, but really. That is never the case. Don't waste your time with something that will ultimately have no value." My temper flares, and I can't help myself from charging forward.  
>"You don't know anything about the Host Club. Kyoya works all the time, day and night, to make that this club runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible, so that everyone can have a good time. Did you ever think that maybe we like entertaining others? That it gives us a sense of completion and fulfillment? How can you say that we're wasting our time by benefiting others? I don't care what you have to say, I think that Kyoya's outstanding, and nothing you say is going to change that." I say, fully aware of Kyoya's eyes on me. Mr. Otori simply walks away from me, but I stand there confidently with shaking fists. It's taking all I have not to hit something.<p>

Just as I begin to relax, however, Tori comes bursting into the salon, out of breath and flustered.

"Maria, come quick! A fight broke out in the West Salon! You have to come stop it before they damage something!" I turn to find Mori-sempai at my side, Honey-sempai with him.  
>"Don't worry, Mari-chan, we'll help you out!" I turn to Kyoya.<br>"Don't bother following. I've got this." I say, then run out of the Central Salon—in heels, which kind of hurts—and make it to the West Salon in time to witness the destruction of three of my paintings.  
>"...What the hell are you doing? Don't you know that you're destroying other peoples' property? Those paintings don't belong to me anymore! They've been bought by others!" One guy rolls his eyes at me, walks forward, and pushes me.<br>"Shut up, you stupid bitch. You can't tell me what to do." It's clear that these guys don't belong here, and that they were clearly only meaning to cause trouble.

Mori-sempai steps in front of me and, along with Honey-sempai, break up the fight. I turn to my art teacher as they haul the boys out.

"Who bought those paintings?" I ask, and my art teacher sighs.  
>"It's a man whose never bought from us before. Mr. Yoshio Otori is the buyer. We have to return his money, Maria. I'll go retrieve his checks, then we'll have to find him—"<br>"I'm right here. You don't have to find me. Tell me what happened." My art teacher hands me the checks, and I feel myself raging on the inside.

Here I sit, after mouthing off to Mr. Otori, I have to formally apologize to him and return him his money. This chaps my hide, for sure, and my ego and pride are having major issues right now. However, I swallow them back and step forward.

"Mr. Otori, I'm very sorry, but due to circumstances not of my control, the paintings you bought were destroyed. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Here is your money back." I bow very formally to him, a hand extended with his checks. He takes them—or rather, his secretary does—and then he looks down at me.  
>"Karma has a way with working, doesn't it? You are Maria, correct? The mastermind of all the paintings in this salon?" I nod, rising slowly from my bow.<br>"Yes sir, I am." I say, and he nods.  
>"Rest assured that, despite our earlier altercation, we will be seeing more of each other. You could be a very valuable asset. Make sure to keep your schedule open to see me. I don't like to be kept waiting when I call upon someone. We will be seeing each other very soon." He says, then walks away from me.<p>

I'm blown away. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. I stand there, dumbfounded, unsure of what just happened. Even as the crowd moves around me, and even as things settle back to normal, I'm struck dumb as a stump. Did he really just say I was a valuable asset? That's not something I'd expect, coming from him. After all that I said to him, I'm surprised he's so cordial to me. Maybe a little cold, but I'm sure that comes with being a businessman.

It's not until Mori-sempai puts a hand on my shoulder that I finally snap to it.

"You have to go change for the parade." He says, and I nod.  
>"Okay. Thanks, Takashi." I say, and he smiles. I like that name, it's so simple, but that's what makes it so refreshing.<p>

* * *

><p>I get back to the Central Salon, and immediately the twins whisk me away to the dressing room behind Kyoya's back.<p>

"Mari-chan, I know we didn't tell you this—"  
>"—but your sister brought your purple dress from the spring gala!" I cock an eyebrow.<br>"Why did you bring it?" I ask, my voice apathetic.  
>"We're going to surprise Kyoya with it! Just a little something to get back at him for being so mean. I thought of it!" Tori says, and I can only sigh. This is going to be a long afternoon.<br>"How does it fit?" Tori shouts, even though I'm five feet away and hidden behind a curtain.  
>"It's a little loose around the rib cage and the stomach, but other than that, like a glove. And it looks good, too, better than it did at the gala." I say, stepping out in full get-up. Tori's wearing a pretty emerald gown with gold and white accents. Gold slippers to match it, with her hair perfectly framing her head and a golden tiara to finish. She looks just like a princess, and it suits her.<p>

"You're gonna knock him dead! You look scrumptious." Tori says, and I laugh.  
>"Okay Tori, whatever you say." I say, and when we're ready, we head out to the middle of the Central Salon and chat. While everyone else is buys fawning over Haruhi and her pretty dress, I notice Kyoya's on the phone.<p>

"Well?" I ask him, and he just shakes his head, hanging it up.  
>"No luck. He's not there." Then, he looks outside into the distance.<br>"I can't believe Tamaki-sempai didn't show. I really thought he was going to make it, despite what Eclair said." I look to the floor, and everyone's uncomfortably silent. Then, Kyoya dials again on his phone.  
>"Hello, Shima? Been a while, hasn't it? It's Kyoya." He says, and my close proximity to him allows me to hear the conversation.<br>"This is about Master Tamaki, isn't it? I'm sorry, Kyoya, but the master will be departing for France soon." The look on Kyoya's face worries me.  
>"I tried to talk him out of it, but he said the Suoh family had forgiven his beloved mother, and that he was finally going to get to see her again. He also said that if he stayed at Ouran any longer, his capriciousness would only continue to make trouble for you and everyone else in the club." I see Kyoya grit his teeth before speaking, and my first reaction is to put my hand on his shoulder.<p>

"How could he be so stupid?" He asks, more rhetorical than anything else. I lean close to him to try and get him to stay calm. He addresses the rest of the club.  
>"Evidently Tamaki is planning to return to France." This startles everyone.<br>"Tama-chan is going to leave us?" Honey-sempai asks.  
>"You're kidding me! He can't just let it end so suddenly!" Hikaru says, breaking down into a bit of a fit as he's comforted by his brother.<br>"...No. No, no! No, we have to stop him! We can't let him leave! I haven't...I didn't even...this can't happen! Not now! It's not fair!" I hear Tori crying, and I know that it's hard for her to deal with this, probably harder for her than anyone else.  
>"Excuse me, sir." I hear Shima say, leaning close to Kyoya.<br>"Yes?"  
>"I was just thinking...if the Master's mother really is as remarkable a woman as he claims she is, then I can only imagine that she would be upset with the manner in which the master has chosen to leave Ouran Academy." I hear her say. I smile a bit to myself at this notion, knowing she's right. Any mother would want what's best for their child, not what their child thinks is best for them. That's not how families work.<p>

"Do you know when he's leaving, Shima?" Kyoya asks. I stand there and listen, doing the only thing I can to calm him down, by placing my hands firmly on his shoulders from behind.  
>"I'm afraid his flight is this evening." My eyes widen and I gasp.<br>"Why is he leaving so soon?" Kyoya asks.  
>"He would have left sooner, but he said he had to wait until the Ouran Fair was ending." But no sooner does she say this when a red car comes past the window, carrying Tamaki, Eclair, and her servant.<br>"Tamaki!" Kyoya cries out as they drive past us.  
>"Tama-chan!" Honey-sempai says.<br>"No way!" Kaoru chimes in.  
>"The Ouran Fair isn't even over yet!" Say Hikaru.<br>"My family's car should be in the parking lot. Haruhi, Tori, let's go!"

* * *

><p>We manage to run all of the way to the parking lot, following Kyoya as he leads us to his family's car. We get there, and he starts to talk to the driver.<p>

"We're in a hurry, can you drive us?" He asks, and when I see the driver's hesitation I know something's up.  
>"I'm sorry sir, but..."<br>"What is it? What's wrong?" I turn around notice what's lurking in the shadows, walking forward to try and get a better look.  
>"Well, you see, the thing is..." The driver says, and that's when I see the armed men step out of the shadows. I see Kyoya straighten up and glare at them from the side.<br>"You want to tell me your orders? Let me guess...you've been hired to protect Lady Eclair?" Kyoya says, and I back off a little bit. These guys are advancing too close for comfort. That's when I realize that Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai are missing. Where could they have gone?

"I'm truly sorry it has come to this, but as you know, as members of the Otori private police, we answer to your father."  
>"Damn it!" I hear a crunching metal sound, and whip my head around to see that Kyoya's made a dent in the front of his family's car.<br>"I'm terribly sorry sir, but we've been ordered not to allow any of you to leave, even if we have to stop you by force."  
>"Damn you all! I won't allow anyone to take me prisoner! You can't make me stay!" I say angrily, charging forward. Maybe it was stupid, but I was enraged. Who are these guys to tell me what I can and cannot do?<br>"Maria, wait, don't do that!" But Kyoya's warning comes too late. I feel a tight grip on my wrist.  
>"Ouch! Dammit, that hurts!" I shout, only to be thrown against one of the stone pillars. I whimper, the pain from my back and my wrist combining. It hurts, bad.<br>"I order you to take your hands off of her! Now!"

"I'm sorry sir, but she tried to escape. We must handle her according to—" However, all words are stopped at the sounds of hooves and wheels. A carriage bursts through the crowd of armed men, with Mori-sempai at the reins and Honey-sempai in the carriage.  
>"Hikaru, take the carriage. If you use the back hills bypass, you can cut them off." Mori-sempai says, jumping down off of the carriage.<br>"It's Haninozuka and Morinozuka!" The crowd of men, now intimidated, gives me enough time to try and get the guy who's holding me off of me. However, this fails when he throws me against the pillar again, and then grips my wrist even harder. I cry out, but Mori-sempai makes quick work of the guy. I give him a look of gratitude, and he continues what he's doing.  
>"C'mon!" I hear Kaoru say as he helps Haruhi into the carriage. Tori stands there for a moment, a little dumbstruck. Kyoya grips her arms firmly.<br>"Tori, go get that idiot. Hurry!" He says, pushing her up into the carriage.  
>"Now go! This is your chance!" Hikaru nods to Kyoya, then let's the reins fly and makes out of here quickly, Tori, Haruhi and Kaoru in tow.<br>"Don't just stand there, stop that carriage!" But no sooner do the words leave the man's mouth is he hit in the head by Honey-sempai. Kyoya comes over to me, where I sit against the pillar.

"Are you alright?" I look at him and nod.  
>"Yeah, I will be. He may have bruised it a bit, but I'll be okay." He nods, pressing a powerful kiss to my lips as Honey-sempai prepares to attack.<br>"Takashi, don't go easy on 'em!"  
>"Don't worry, I won't!" And they certainly don't. In mere moments they have the entire group piled high. Kyoya, Honey-sempai, Mori-sempai and I are all standing in front of the pile.<br>"I warned you guys, picking on my friends is a big no-no!" I giggle a little at his silliness.  
>"You should never underestimate the Ouran Host Club." Kyoya says.<br>"Yeah." Mori-sempai chimes in, and I turn toward the direction where the others escaped.

I can only hope that they make it there in time to stop Tamaki. Please, Tori...bring him back to us. Don't give him up so easily.

* * *

><p>The twins, Haruhi and Tori rode swiftly through the forest trail, so fast that the three passengers had to hang on for dear life.<p>

"Hikaru, don't you think we should slow down? Somebody could get hurt!" Kaoru warns, his eyes darting to Haruhi and Tori, who are hanging on tightly.  
>"We're not slowing down till we get the boss back!" Hikaru shouts.<br>"But Hikaru..." Kaoru still tries to protest him, and Tori simply clings to the carriage with Haruhi. In her mind, she only wants to make sure Tamaki doesn't get taken away. Not without a fight.  
>"If it wasn't for Tamaki, then the two of us would still only be lost souls! We were able to become friends with Haruhi, Tori, Maria and the others because the host club brought us together! To think that all of it could end so suddenly like this...is something that I can't tolerate!" Hikaru says, but then, the carriage bucks violently. Tori screams a bit, holding on for dear life to the carriage as it flings Hikaru off into the field. When it finally comes to a stop, Kaoru and Haruhi jump out of it, running over to Hikaru. Tori sits there, dumbfounded, unsure of what to do.<br>"Tori! Tori, listen to me!" Haruhi shouts to her. Tori looks at her, clutching her chest. She nods to Haruhi as Hikaru rants and Kaoru tries to comfort him.  
>"Because of sempai, we were all able to be together! We can't give up now! Take the carriage and go after him! Bring him back and let him know that we need him here!" Tori's eyes well with tears.<br>"Tell him how much he means to you, how much you love him! Tell him, Tori, so he comes back to you and to the rest of us! Don't let him just...run away like that!" Tears fall down Tori's face slowly.  
>"Go, Tori! Go bring back our Host Club King! Bring Tamaki-sempai back to us!" Tori clenches her fists, shakes the tears from her eyes, and jumps to the front of the carriage. She grips the reins, let's them fly, and takes off down the road, determined to bring back Tamaki. Not only for the Host Club, but also for herself.<p>

She follows the dirt road and makes sure the horses keep up with the car. When it comes into view, she gently whispers under her breath.

"Don't worry, Tamaki, I'm not letting you leave me just yet. It's not right for you to leave me, to leave all of us, when you have more than enough family. You will be able to see your mother again, on your own terms, without being forced into something you don't want to follow through. I'll make damn sure of it, too." She says, then whips at the reins again. She comes flying out onto the road, and the sound alerts Tamaki and Eclair.

"...Tori? What are you doing, Tori? This is dangerous! Stop the carriage!"  
>"Tamaki!" She shouts, trying to fight the tears in her eyes.<br>"Stop the carriage, now!" She swallows, then starts to shout back.  
>"Tamaki! Listen to me for a minute! Shut up and listen to me!"<br>"I mean it, stop the carriage!" But she refuses to listen to him as the carriage pulls up next to the car.  
>"Tamaki, please! Please come back! We all need you!" His face saddens at this.<br>"But everyone...they all said they were put out by the Host Club." He says, and she grits her teeth.  
>"You idiot! Did you really think we meant that? After all this time together, and all of the things we've been through, you can't tell when we're messing around? You're so stupid! You're such a freakin' moron!" She shouts, angry at him.<br>"Everyone loves being in the Host Club, Tamaki. The twins, Honey-sempai, Mori-sempai, Kyoya, me...even Maria and Haruhi. We all love being in the Host Club!" She reaches out a hand to him with a smile, and as he goes to reach for it, Eclair stops him.

At that moment, Tori loses control of the carriage and is flung over the side of the bridge they were now on.

"Tori, no!" He shouts, and this time, Eclair lets him go as he goes to save her.  
>"Thank you, Eclair." He says, jumping out after Tori. She reaches for him, and when he's able to grab her hand, he pulls her close.<br>"Tori, I...thank you." She shakes her head with tears in her eyes.  
>"No, Tamaki. I did it because...everyone wants you back. I want you back. I love you, Tamaki Suoh. So don't you dare leave me again." She says as they plunge into the water.<p>

But not before she sees the smirk on his face.

* * *

><p>When they come out of the water, Tamaki is carrying Tori.<p>

"You should be more careful. You're soaking wet." She giggles at this.  
>"I'm not the only one." And when he sets her down, she pulls him into a passionate kiss, one that he gladly returns.<br>"Tama-chan, Tori-chan!" Honey-sempai's voice breaks their kiss as the twins run toward them.  
>"Boss!" The twins say. Maria stands back with Kyoya, Haruhi, and Mori-sempai. Her bandaged wrist forgotten at her side, her eyes look on the scene with happiness.<p>

"Finally." She breathes softly. Kyoya's fingers twine with hers, holding her hand tightly.  
>"Finally what?" He asks softly, and she smiles.<br>"It's over. It's finally over. I'm so relieved." Maria says, which makes Kyoya chuckle.  
>"He's such a moron." She laughs in return to his comment.<br>"He is. But that's why they work so well together. They're both morons." Kyoya nods in agreement to her statement.

* * *

><p>The sun sets, and with it, the memories of the past two days seem to disappear. Sitting amongst the orchestra, Tori leads them with a stunning, heart-tugging solo. Haruhi—now dressed into a frilly suit similar to the ones the rest of the host club is wearing—stands by the buffet table with the twins. Mori-sempai is currently entertaining Maria with a dance, which she very much enjoys. Kyoya and Tamaki are talking as Kyoya watches his beautiful girlfriend from a distance, while Honey-sempai stuffs cake into his face off to the side somewhere.<p>

Up above the crowd, in a dark office, two men sit and talk after a long day at the Ouran Fair.

"I'm sorry that we caused you concern. It looks as though Grand Tonnerre will not be purchasing my company after all. An unexpected backer turned up. They bought the company before Tonnerre had a chance, and the backer said he was turning over all management rights to me." Yoshio Otori says to his friend, Yuzuru Suoh, as they sit in Suoh's office. Yuzuru is watching the closing ceremony and dance from the window in his office, his eyes on his son and the beautiful girl that has caught his attention, as well as the beautiful girl that has caught his friend's son's attention, as well.  
>"That was a bold move. Which funds manager was it?" Yuzuru asks, his eyes following the two sisters as they entertain themselves.<br>"A student investor called 'K.O.' He cleverly left his name out of the deal, but it didn't take me long to figure out who it was. 'K.O.' is...Kyoya Otori. The new backer was none other than my own son."  
>"At least we know we don't have to worry about the future. I thought I knew how brilliant Kyoya was, but it seems he's even smarter than I thought." Yuzuru says.<br>"Maybe so, but I think your son is the one who's truly amazing. I am the one responsible for the entirety of Kyoya's education. I always knew he would surpass his older brothers someday. However, I must say that I'm shocked. While I can imagine Kyoya taking over a company, I never dreamed he'd turn around and give it right back to it's original owner. As Kyoya grew up, I was constantly dangling the Otori family companies in front of his face, torturing him with something he could never have. Now, not only has he taken it out from under me by force, but he's basically told me he doesn't want it, and has thrown it back in my face. Do you understand what that means?" Yuzuru turns to look at his friend, seeing the determined and proud look in his eyes at the discussion of his son.  
>"It means he's finally found it. He's found something that has an even greater value to him. And that's probably thanks to Tamaki. Though I admit I'd be interested to see what it is that Kyoya values so much." Yoshio says, turning to look at Yuzuru. Both men nod to each other.<p>

"I think we'll get along just fine." Yuzuru says. Yoshio nods.  
>"I believe we'll get along famously, just as our sons do." They then sit in silence.<br>"Tell me, Yuzuru...what do you know about the art student? The one that did the mural in the front of the art hallway and those paintings in the Western Salon?" Yuzuru smirks at the mention of her.  
>"Maria McMillan. Our only second year honors student, art student, and American transfer. She's quite the character, isn't she?" Yoshio smirks.<br>"She definitely is. I've found her to be a most interesting person. She's emotional and uncouth, but with time that can be fixed. She seems rather close to my Kyoya. I think, with some cultivation, that she would be an excellent bride for my son in the future. She'd also be a very valuable asset to our companies. Her artwork is splendid. Advertising would be so easy with her around." Yuzuru laughs.  
>"It seems those girls are taking over our world, Yoshio. Her sister, Vittoria, is close to Tamaki as well. In fact, she's the reason Tamaki did not go to France. He wanted to stay with her, as well as the rest of their little club, so that they could support him together. Those girls are two very remarkable people." Yoshio's smirk widens.<br>"I see. It seems that, despite their pedigree, they're proving to be worthy of our time and our praise. Tell me, Yuzuru...do you have a clue into the extent of Kyoya's relationship with that girl?" Yuzuru only smiles and shrugs.  
>"It's hard to tell. If they are seeing each other, they're very good at hiding it. If not, well, it's only a matter of time. They're charismatic and witty girls, my friend. To think that our sons could end up related through these girls...it surprises me, but it doesn't make me unhappy in the least." Yoshio nods.<br>"I'm not all that opposed, myself. Though I believe that Maria needs work, she is definitely a good match for my son. I'll have to keep an eye on her in the future." And then, both men then sit to have a drink.

* * *

><p>I break away from Mori-sempai—finally—and make my way over to Kyoya. He smiles at me as Tamaki departs. I watch him go to the orchestra pit, stealing Tori from her chair for a dance. She's giggling happily, which isn't surprising. I'm just glad things turned out so favorably for her and Tamaki. It's one less thing for me to worry about.<p>

"They do make a good pair, don't they?" Kyoya asks, and I nod.  
>"They do. I'm so glad that things have settled down. I just hope things continue this way...blissfully happy and without worries." He chuckles.<br>"It would be nice, wouldn't it?" I nod with a smile, then feel a tug on my hand.  
>"Come. Dance with me." I follow him, then let him pull me close and lead the next dance.<br>"That dress really is beautiful on you. I'm utterly speechless and in awe of how gorgeous you look right now." I blush and smile a bit.  
>"Hush. It's just a dress." But he bends down and kisses me. My heart picks up in anticipation, but when he breaks the kiss he immediately explains.<br>"No one was watching us. I couldn't help myself." I smile and nod as we sweep across the courtyard gracefully.

We dance, and my mind is not only on Kyoya, but everyone in the Host Club. I'm happy that things happened they way they did, because it brought everyone closer. As much as the happiness is at this point, however, I can't help feeling that something's been watching me this whole time. That there's something on the horizon that's a bad omen.

But, of course, it could just be my imagination. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but...still. I feel as if this is the calm before the storm. I only hope it's my imagination. Still, the time I have now is the time that I have to treasure. Because I never know when it's going to be gone.

* * *

><p><strong>And with that, my lovelies, I leave you with some foreshadowing and some good things as well. I know that it seems like I'm not updating much, but getting over a tough writer's block is really hard. Plus, with my parents getting divorced, coupled with school and myself falling into a relationship with someone wonderful and playing League of Legends, my time is pretty much used up. I still write; however, it's usually not much all at once. I hope to change that once spring break comes around in about a month. I will be sure to try my best to update about every two weeks though, like I have been, so I don't lose you guys.<strong>

Thank you all so much, I love you, and good days to you all!

**~B-chan  
><strong>


	46. Update from the Author - I'M BACK

Hello everyone! I'm so excited to be back…wow, I have missed so much in the last few months. I'll give you all an update on what happened so that maybe you can come to understand what it was that went on. I really hope I haven't lost my followers...

So, the last chapter I realize I talked about a romantic interest. Well, that time has come and gone, we dated for four months and it ended because...well, to be completely and brutally honest, he's a stalking creep. More than that he's just not right for me, that who shpeal. Y'all know what I mean by that.

Second thing I said was about my parents getting divorced. That all went through and happened and now, after a long few months, we're finally on track as a family and moving forward.

My mother's going back to school for about another year or so to get her bachelor's degree (go mama!) and I'm just finishing my third semester of college. I'm so bored out of my mind it isn't even funny.

I play League of Legends like it's going out of style. I have played so so so so much in the last few months that it has literally taken over my life. I play it every day without fail. It has been weeks since I went a day without at least logging on or playing. Am I addicted? Maybe. I have two teams I'm currently a part of and I'm working hard to be really, really good at this damn game. Haha I guess that's what happens when you really, really love something.

So, I'm back and ready for some more Kyoya/Maria action. I'm gonna continue this and hope that I don't end up with people no longer reading my story at all. I hope I still have followers and that they will continue to read. I'm gonna try and post a chapter tonight while I wait for my team to get online (teehee, I do these things in the time between matches). I'm gonna try to write more and more since the holiday season is here and there is an entire month before I have to go back to school after I'm done with finals.

Thank you all so much for being so loyal to me, I know it's been a long time since I updated but I sure hope you've all stuck with me (or at least, most of you) and that I don't disappoint you with the next publication. Till then, my lovelies, I bid you adieu and hope to have a chapter out for you all by the time the night is over.

Your wonderfully devoted author,

BleachIsFreakin'Awesome a.k.a. Mari-chan :3


	47. Disaster Looms

Alright my lovelies, your writer is back! I'm glad to be back and writing for you, now that I'm over my writer's block and winding down on this semester of college, I should be writing a little more frequently. I can't believe it's been so long since I published on this story...I have a special folder in my email just for all of you wonderful people, though. So here goes the dedications and thank yous!

I dedicate this chapter to all of my reviewers over the past few months. Thank you so much to **animefreak653, Alex Bloody Rabbit, monsta-starr, MarinaStryke, AnimeRomantic4Ever, GossamerWish, **and** AhhMyLife**. I hope you all are still with me, and I really look forward to hearing from more of you!

Also, thank you to all of those that followed/favorited me during this long absence. Every email reminded me that I needed to update, and I finally got another and said "Alright, that's enough." and went with it. Thank you so much to **BuBbLeZ-BOTDF, LocaMonkey24, Shadow 1n2, McGo, mimlover, Knakx, InOnePiece, Missy Moore, starlight5279, HellsDragoness, Vampyress13, Ayakajou, SierraSithWihellion, Tsuyomi Vampire Princess, EternalMuse707, ACID-0.00-Hanafubuki, Exzellima, XxMusicChickxX, monsta-starr, AkatsukiMember Jinx, Regin, BlackKittenMaid, MarinaStryke, bunnynanagirl, Russia Fey, ollie-wodge, **and** soccochoco**.

Whew, that is a LONG list of names. Shows y'all just how long I've been out of it...

Here is the chapter I promised, albeit a bit late. I hope you all enjoy and I look forward to hearing what you have to say about it. I'll be writing more in the future, promise!

Without any more delays, read on my darlings!

* * *

><p><strong><em>{Monday}<em>**

When I walk into class on Monday, I begin the day as usual, my thoughts still on the Ouran Fair. I sit at my desk fifteen minutes before class starts and read a little bit to calm my mind. Except this time it's hard for me to focus because I hear the entire class start some sort of hubbub or other. They're talking amongst themselves excitedly. I lean over to Hina.

"What's going on? What's got everyone so excited?" I ask, and she smiles at me. She comes over to my desk, and thankfully Kyoya decided to come to class later. No doubt he wouldn't like the idea of being close to probably one of the most annoying of his fangirls. She's nice enough, but if you get on the subject of Kyoya she never shuts up.

"It's the new transfer student! She's only here temporarily, but apparently she's Spanish nobility. She's come all the way here from Madrid! Her name is Maricela Estrella, I think. She's so pretty, too! She's sitting over there...though from here you can't really see her because of all of the people." I turn and look to the opposite corner of the classroom. There I see a truly gorgeous girl, once some of our classmates manage to move.

She's got long, beautiful, silky and wavy black hair, definitely the deep hue of ebony. Her eyes are a deep onyx as well, as black as her hair. Her complexion is that of a European Spanish citizen, slightly darker and olive, but in a shade that's not quite like the dark tan of the Italians. She's got a small beauty mark above lip on her left side. She's characteristically quite voluptuous. Her face is done up to the nines, her face flawless, her eyes smoky, her lips a stunning blood red. She has the longest eyelashes I've ever seen on a girl, even longer than me. And I have some really long eyelashes.

But that's not what I find so...weird about her. Her beauty is ethereal, but for some reason I can't help feeling like she's staring me down. She talks with someone, but then it's like she goes back to staring me down after she's done. I can't help feeling this ominous premonition...for no reason. Is it my mind telling me something I should really know? Or am I really just imagining it? It sends shivers down my spine, and not the good kind either. What could I have possibly done to her to make her look at me that way?

I shake it off once Kyoya comes into the classroom and we start class, thinking that it's best not to over-think it. The new girl—Maricela _is_ her name, so Hina was right—is introduced, and she is indeed Spanish nobility. Apparently she's here on official business, though what it was wasn't specified. She continues to stare at me throughout the entire time our instructor gabs, and I can't help being creeped out. What the hell is her problem? Does she have something to say to me? If so she needs to say it. I hate people staring at me the way she is...like I'm no better than the dirt on her shoes.

When morning classes are over I'm definitely glad to get the hell out of there. I skip lunch—as usual—and head to the first art room. There I find complete silence. I sigh happily. Peace and quiet, and no annoying, staring, stuck up, blue-blooded girls to bother me.

I do some paperwork for my teacher as he runs some errands, then do a quick sketch for a grade. Something to prove I did work this afternoon, my teacher says. He hangs it in his office and shoos me out at exactly 3:30. I make my way to the music room and manage to drop in before guests start to arrive. Tori comes over to me with a smile on her face.

"You didn't eat lunch again today! You're going to gain weight faster if you do that. You must be starving!" I roll my eyes at her.

"I knew I was going to be eating cake with Honey-sempai today. So I skipped the calories then for more cake later." She bonks me on the head. I playfully pout at her.

"Tori, it's chocolate cake day! I have to save the calories as much as possible!" I whine to her, and she giggles.  
>"You're so weird." I laugh, and she smiles.<br>"Maria, you know what?" I cock my head to the side, an eyebrow raised.  
>"No, Tori. I don't know that person. Tell me." She rolls her eyes at my sarcasm.<br>"Ever since you got with Kyoya you've been so much happier. I'm glad that you can loosen up and be yourself. It's good to see the you I remember from our childhood days." I laugh at this. She's being to weird today. I'm sure it's Tamaki's fault.  
>"Thanks, Tori. Glad I have your support." I say, and she crosses her arms, giving me a look. It's clear that she doesn't like me humoring her with my sarcasm.<br>"I'm being serious here!" I can only laugh at her, because she never says those words, nor does she ever really mean them. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to believe her.  
>"You? Serious? Wonders never cease." I say, and she playfully punches me.<br>"You know what I mean." I nod.  
>"Yeah, I do. Yes, I am much happier now. I feel a lot better since I started seeing Kyoya. It's nice to have someone to lean on, you know?" I tell her, and she nods.<br>"For sure!" And then we get to work preparing tea and coffee as the other hosts start greeting and seating their guests.

**_{Three Days Later}_**

"Ah, it seems we have a new guest here today! Tell me, my beautiful foreign flower, what is your name?" She sticks her nose into the air with haughtiness and arrogance, staring Tamaki down as if he were the biggest idiot in the world and a stain on her shoe.

I officially hate royalty. First the French at the Ouran Fair, and now the Spanish invading our classroom. Makes me wish they'd all died back in the seventeenth century.

"You're in my class. You should know my name. But for everyone else, I am Maricela Estrella, heiress to the Estrella fortune. I'm here from Madrid on official business." She says, her voice haughty and thick with her accent. I look over from my place at the window, my conversation with Hina halting in it's tracks. I look to the door and see Maricela standing there, glaring at me. I feel my hackles want to come up. She's been getting increasingly annoying ever since she started coming to this school. And she follows me almost everywhere, spying on me, while we're at school. I knew it was only a matter of time before she'd wind up here.

Dammit all, she makes me want to shoot her! I hate her and she's never even spoken one word to me! Never in my life have I ever wanted to hit someone so much! This is definitely not boding well for an emotionally expressive person like me. It makes me wish assault wasn't illegal! Be it that it is, I can't hit her anyway, because I am an adult and she is most likely not. Meaning I'd get in a whole lot of trouble.

"...Maria, are you alright?" I hear Hina ask me softly. I look back at her with kind of a smile and ignore the stare from across the room.  
>"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" She gives me one of her quirky smiles.<br>"You just looked like you were really staring her down. I guess you don't like her, huh?"  
>"Can you blame me? She looks at everyone as if they were dirt on the ground. I can't stand people like that. It makes my blood boil." I say through clenched teeth. I go back to painting and talk with Hina about something or other, I'm sure it involved Kyoya, but I don't remember much of it.<p>

However, as the club starts to become less rambunctious, Hina says goodbye. With her leaving, I say goodbye to my last customer of the day. Nevertheless I continue painting. I want to paint away some of my stress and anger. I have to calm down now, because if I don't I'll go home angry and remain that way the rest of the night. And that's the last thing I want.

"The club is winding down. It seems we can leave soon." That's Kyoya's way of telling me to stop what I'm doing so he can take me home. I nod and start to clean up my area. I get part of the way done when he comes back over to me.

"I'll be waiting in the car for you. Take your time." He says, then looks around for someone to be watching us. No one even appears to be in the room, so he leans over and quickly kisses my cheek, then pushes up his glasses and leaves. I can't help smiling a little to myself.

He's so damn cute, it should be illegal.

By the time I finish cleaning the brushes and palettes, I'm sure he's been waiting at least ten minutes, if not longer. But I manage to leave—Tori is still there with Tamaki, and they're playing music together—and make my way down the hallway. But as I get to the end, a voice stops me.

"It's curious that there is not one, not two, but in fact three commoners in this school. It makes me sick." I can only stand there for a moment. That voice is one I haven't heard before. Who could it be?

Wait, wait...that's got to be that new girl. Yeah it is, because I remember how she dissed Tamaki earlier.

"Well, maybe you should leave then if you don't like it. Keep your opinions to yourself, especially when you don't know what you're talking about. I don't appreciate others talking about my friends and family that way. Stupid uppity bitch..." I say the last part under my breath and continue on my way. She doesn't say anymore, which makes me glad.

I get to the car and climb in, still angry. I can't believe she'd have the nerve to say something like that to me. Does she even know what the hell it is that she's getting herself into? I'm not someone you want to mess with. Just because I've gotten soft because of Kyoya doesn't mean I won't jump all over some rich bitch's ass for being a complete and utter ignoramus.

"Is there something wrong? You look particularly angry today, Maria. And it seems it's been that way for the past few days." I slide close to Kyoya, who is quick to entangle his hand with mine. He puts up the security window—thank God for bulletproof, blackened, soundproof windows—and then pulls me a little closer. I lean my head back against the seat.  
>"It's that new girl. She's driving me up a wall." I say, exasperated.<br>"Maricela?" He asks. I nod.  
>"Yeah! It's like she's got a grudge against me or something! She's been staring and glaring at me since she got here. I don't know what her problem is, but I don't like it!" He chuckles at my outburst.<br>"Are you sure you're not just seeing things?" I shake my head at his question.  
>"I know I'm not, because when I was coming out here she comes out of nowhere and says how she thinks that having commoners in our school is disgusting. She's got something wrong with her, Kyoya. I think it's those damn ties to nobility. She's rotten!" I say, and he kisses my cheek, then gives me a peck on the lips.<p>

"Calm down a little and give it some time. You don't know for sure if that's what is going on. We have yet to see what her official business entails, but it's clear that she isn't in a good mood either. It will blow over soon enough." I sigh and lean against him, resting my head on his shoulder.  
>"I hope you're right. She makes me want to pound knots into her head..." I say, which makes Kyoya laugh.<br>"That will accomplish nothing, my dear." He tuts. I sigh, running my free hand through my hair.  
>"I know, but still. It's true. I'm so frustrated I could hit something." I say, and then he kisses me. Like, full on starts sucking face with me. I feel my back pressed against one of the doors as his tongue forces it's way past my lips to meet mine. My face flushes, but I don't pull away. It feels too good to stop. His arms are around me, one around my waist, the other on the back of my head.<p>

When the car stops he breaks our kisses to let me breathe. Not that I wanted him to, but still. I was getting a bit lightheaded.

"Do you feel better now?" I refocus myself a little.  
>"What? What do you mean?" He smirks as I play it up.<br>"Good. Then it worked. And it seems we're at your home." I look and see that we are, in fact, at my apartment complex.  
>"Oh. I see that. I guess that means I have to get going." I say, leaning over and kissing him. But this time I take over the kiss. I push him over onto his back on the seat, and he seems frozen for a moment before he reacts.<br>"You can't forget, Kyoya, that even if you are the guy...you are dating an older woman." I say when I pull away, giving him a look. He simply smirks and pushes up his glasses.  
>"I will see you tomorrow." I nod to him.<br>"You will." I say, then step out of the car and close the door. With a small wave I turn and make my way to my apartment. I'm happy now. He made me forget all about punching Maricela in the face repeatedly.

I knew there was something he was good for. Making me forget what I feel and where I am. Most of the time I am glad, but that means if we get into fights that he can successfully use it against me. Not that we'll be fighting any time soon, but you catch my drift.

* * *

><p><strong>...And that's it for tonight! I hope you all enjoyed that bit of fluffiness at the end. I found it rather cute myself :3<strong>

**I'm so mean to these characters. I realized it after I reread my own story (and yes, I did that for the sake of getting back into the swing of things).**

**I hope you all enjoyed and that you will stick this out with me! I love you all so dearly.**

**Your author,**

**~B-chan**


	48. Final Author's Note

OMG MY LOVELIES I'M SO SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !

…

I'm so sorry, darlings! I have been oh so busy since the LAST update, which was...

…

Thanksgiving of last year. Oh boy. Am I behind or am I behind?!

I want to thank you all and take this short side note to say that I'm OH SO SORRY for keeping you guys waiting for so damn long. No doubt some of you have moved on, some of you may hate me, but after watching the email folder accumulate for so long on this story, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Now, I will use this semi-short note to explain what has happened to your author over the last...nine months? Gah, it's been so long I can't really remember. It's just been forever.

So, I left you off with saying that I was playing League of Legends and immersing myself fully and completely into it. Well, I did that up until...February, and then cut ties with all of my friends from high school and my team, save a select few, due to a stupid conflict and happening within the game itself. That's right, a stupid ass game ruined our friendship, but I won't say I didn't try to stop it, because I did. I wanted to make things better, and by trying to do so I made it worse.

On the plus side, I moved on and found some new friends...and a new love. A little over four months ago I met a wonderful man that has been nothing but a blessing and a plus to my life. He has made me happier than I have ever been, and all the insecurities that I've been writing through with Maria have literally melted away. I have nothing to say other than this:

I really feel as if I can no longer write this story. I was writing this story with angst and using it as a coping method for my insecurities and past problems. But now, with pursuing my music and passion and with finding the love of my life, I seriously can't see myself writing on this story anymore.

With that sad news, I bring you this: Would you like me to summarize the ending of this story from the point I left off at, or would you like me to leave it undone? I have no problems writing a detailed summary, as I had all of the stuff planned ahead at the time and still remember what it was I would have written. My lovelies, I will leave it up to you to decide what you would like me to do. I can summarize to the end from where I left off, OR I can just leave it undone and possibly (though highly unlikely) get back to it and continue where I left off.

This story was my muse, my coping mechanism, and my life for a very long time. I had little to nothing else to do for my problems except write about Maria. Now, I feel as if I have no inspiration and willingness to write. But, at the same time, after experiencing Fanfiction for a long time, I feel agonized at just leaving this story unfinished for you guys, even if it is only a detailed summary and ending that I leave you with. I hate to see good stories unfinished and often wish for at least a summarized ending, and be it that I have most of the rest of the story thought through from the past, I can create a summary that will allow for you guys to have some closure on this story.

So let me know, my ever so faithful readers! I love you guys very, very much, and I appreciate all that you have done for me and all the support you have given me thus far. I will never forget the wonderful things you guys have told me throughout this story and can't wait to hear from you all one last hurrah.

Until next time!

B-chan

P.S. My love is really that amazing. Like, no joke, possibly the best man I've ever met in my life. And I used to hate men, haha!

Your happy author is in ~love~ my darlings~~~~~~~~~


	49. The End?

**MY LOVELY READERS! HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU SO!**

**It really has been so long. Ugh, I feel awful. I especially feel awful that I was really willing to leave you all hanging. But I have decided to continue, no matter how slow the pace will be. **  
><strong>I have a long list to give out thank yous to, so here it goes!<strong>

**Thank you so much to **_Bellsluv, Aishu Hotaru, mamamu-yan, Prunes, akagami hime chan, SpiralWolf27, ThePoweOfRandomnes1, Forgetful Insanity, Tari Luinwe, shael1472, Awkward duck, Ray-ray0801711, animelover56348, PrimrosePotter95, EpicShadowNinja, MidnightYoshi67, Rainy-Round, Utau54, Fruit Coctail Samurai G, Erryn Lancaster, AmberBreath, Fuko Yao, HeavenHellanime, Mocking Melody, CuppyCakeMoo, _**and**_ dinosaur5904_** for all your wonderful favorites/follows/alerts. I love getting the notifications from them and it makes me so happy. They come often enough to keep me thinking about the story every time I check my email, and are part of the reason I started writing again.**

**And special thank yous to my reviewers, who told me what they wanted and how they felt and inspired me to come back after all this time and write more. Thanks so much to**_ ThePowerOfRandomnes1, Forgetful Insanity, Nano1012, AmberBreath, CuteJayAnimeLover1, Joey Neylon D, Missy Moore, Startime101, khrciaossu, MeAFanfictionGirl, AnimeRomantic4Ever_**, and all the guests that stopped by to leave a review! You guys made me change my mind, and it's also because of you that I started writing this again. This part is full and complete, but the next two chapters (yes, I wrote THREE this time instead of one) have some work to be done on them because they're hasty. And you all know I hate being hasty.**

**So I've kept you lovelies waiting long enough. It's short but concise, and I hope to have more up soon! Love you guys and read on!**

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><p>The following morning, while I was in class, a weird note lands on my desk. I don't know how it got there or who dropped it off, but it looked mysterious and suspicious. I tuck it into my bag for later reading as the teacher walks into class. I zone out, my thoughts on what I was going to be doing the rest of the day. When lunch hits I decide that I'll head to the cafeteria to eat, and when I get my food, I sit down by myself and pull out the note.<p>

_If you want your secrets to remain hidden, you will come to the student council room by no later than 3pm this afternoon. Otherwise I will show everyone what I have and ruin everything for you._

My heart races a bit at reading this. Someone knows something, huh? I guess it doesn't hurt to check it out. I continue reading.

_If you tell anyone about this note, I will let everyone know the truth. And come alone. Don't let anyone follow you. Your life at this academy depends on you._

I sigh, tucking the note away and thinking about who had sent this note. Why were they threatening me? What was going on?

I stand up and throw away my food, my appetite gone. At around 2:45 I start making my way across the school campus and head toward the student council room, my mind and heart racing. I enter the room right before 3pm, and I see Maricella standing there. She's alone and the room is quiet. I groan inwardly...I don't want to be alone with her, but if she knows something, I need to fix it and shut her up quick.

Damn rich bitch.

"So you came. And even early. You are alone?" I nod, gesturing around me.  
>"There's no one else here." I say, and she rolls her eyes.<br>"Sit down. This will take a while. I have something to show you." She pulls out what looks like an iPad and puts it into my hands. The video is of the spring festival, right after Kyoya's father had hit him. He pulls me in, hands wandering all over me, then tugs at the shirt tucked in my pants. I hadn't even realized until now that this scene is extremely erotic, albeit the awkward ending. My face flushes.  
>"Where did you get this?" She smirks evilly.<br>"My cousin's family was visiting Japan during your festival. I wanted him to scope out the surroundings and see what dirt he could find. And this is what he found. Good stuff, no? I especially like the part where he tries to pull your shirt off and you freak out." I grit my teeth.  
>"What do you want, Maricella? Why are you blackmailing me?" She chuckles.<br>"Because you have something I want. You see, my father was tired of my lifestyle of parties and social gatherings back home. He decided that it was time for me to go out into the world and find something else to do. He said that without a marriage proposal I'm not allowed back home. And since your boyfriend's family is so very wealthy, the only one he will settle for is Kyoya." I stand up furiously.  
>"Why not one of his older brothers? Why him?" She shrugs.<br>"His brothers are too old and not nearly as attractive. I want him, and you're going to give him to me. In exchange, I'll let your sister continue her escapade with Tamaki Suoh and never let the footage and photos I have out into the world. You'll keep your sister happy and your life here at Ouran stays relatively the same. Give up Kyoya to me and you'll make everyone happy. How does that sound?" I feel a large lump drop into my stomach.

What should I do?

"Now, since I'm the kind person I am, I won't make you tell me now. I'll give you until Friday to decide. Three days is enough, right?" I gulp and sit down on the couch, unsure how to react. She walks to the door of the room and opens it.  
>"I'll be waiting here at the same time on Friday. If you don't come and tell me to my face that you have broken off your relationship with Kyoya Otori, I will release all of the photos and video I have immediately to Kyoya's father and every other family at this school. You, Haruhi and your sister will be run out of this school so fast you won't have time to say goodbye. So don't make this harder than it needs to be." She walks out and shuts the door, leaving me sitting there.<p>

What should I do? Should I go to Tori and ask her what to do? Should I tell Kyoya?

No, I can't do that. I can't even tell my mother. They'll all say the same thing...that giving up my own happiness for the sake of others isn't right. But I can't ruin Tori's life here...she's happy here now, happier than she's ever been. I don't have the right to mess with her life, not to mention Haruhi's. There's so much more at stake here than just what I want.

Sure, I may have to lie and hurt Kyoya's feelings. But my sister will be happy and so will Tamaki, Haruhi and Hikaru. That's worth it, right? And it's not like I have that much longer here at Ouran. Hell, I could probably finish early and go to college.

How do I tell Kyoya? And what do I tell him?

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><p>When Thursday comes my stomach is in knots. It's taking everything in me to appear happy and normal. Inside I'm dying. I have to let Kyoya go today after school...I have to tell him that it's over. I even thought of a lie to tell him to make it easier than just "we're done."<p>

I'll tell him that things have gone downhill for me and that he should leave me alone. That I don't like him at all anymore and that he should find someone else. I'm not good enough and never will be, and that he's jeopardizing my future by being with me. I don't want him anymore because he's no good for me and I'm no good for him.

When the last bell rings I'm startled. I had been painting in the art room this entire time and hadn't noticed the time. I was finishing up a project, and decided to take the most time possible. Delaying it made more time for me to mentally prepare myself.

"I thought you might be in here." I hear Kyoya's voice and have to swallow the urge to cry. He comes up behind me and hugs me, kissing my neck and jaw tenderly. I flush, loving the feeling of his lips on my skin.  
>"I just had a lot to clean up." I say softly, and he chuckles.<br>"That's alright. I'll wait for you by the car." He says, and I smile and nod. When he leaves I throw everything into the sink and sob.

That beautiful, perfect boy is going to be taken away from me, all because I was too stupid to realize that good things don't last forever. Real life isn't a fairytale...it's a god damned nightmare.

I get to the car and listen to his chatter on the way home. When we get back to the apartment, he walks me up. I sigh, then turn to him.

"Kyoya...we need to talk." I say sternly, and he gives me a look.  
>"What seems to be the problem?" I clear my throat, then sigh.<br>"I don't think this whole thing between us is going to work out anymore." I say, and his face falls.  
>"What do you mean, Maria?" I swallow and continue, maintaining a straight face as best as I can.<br>"I don't like you like that anymore. I've felt this way for...a couple of weeks now. It's just not like it used to be." I say, and he pushes me against the door. It jars me, startling me.  
>"What the fuck does that mean?" I sigh, watching the emotions run through his eyes, my heart beating. I'm trying so hard not to cry. This probably sounds like some sick joke to him.<br>"Being with you jeopardizes my future. I could get kicked out of Ouran because of you, and I don't want that. I have to think about me, and realizing that turned me off of you. You're just a pretty face with a lot of money." I say, and he slams the door.  
>"Shut the fuck up. You can't be serious about this. At least let me prove you wrong. Don't just...walk out on me." His eyes go from anger to hatred to pain. He's hurting just as much as I am.<br>"I'm no good for you, Kyoya. Your father will never approve. It's best to stop it before it gets too serious. Like, what you said at New Year's...about me falling in love with you...that's too much for me. I don't want that." He steps back and runs his hand through his hair.  
>"Then I won't try to make you love me. Look, Maria, I don't want to force you into a corner. Do what you want, but please don't leave me. I've never been happier than when I'm with you." I feel my heart tug at hearing this. I feel a single tear slip down my face but manage to maintain my composure.<br>"No, Kyoya. This is over. We can still be friends, but our relationship is over. Now go home, I have work to do." I say, opening the door and shutting it swiftly before locking it.  
>"God dammit Maria, don't you run away from me like this! Talk to me! Please, Maria! Maria!" I walk away from the door and then break into a run into my room, shutting and locking the door before throwing myself onto the bed and breaking down. I sob loudly, crying, tears streaming down my face.<p>

I guess life never wants to do anything but make me happy and then tear me down. I can't be happy.

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><p><strong>Well that's that! Like I promised I'll have more up soon. Oh, and yes, I did change my pen name, but don't mind that. I'll always be B-chan or Mari-chan for you guys 3<strong>


	50. Aftermath

**Yay! Another chapter!**

**Thanks so much to Dahlmi93 for following this story and sending me a wonderful review! Your request inspired me to embellish and upload the next chapter for your viewing. I'm so glad people are reading again!**

**Thank you also to Nano1012 for your fantastic and supportive review! You made me so happy :D**

**Now I know I left things on a sad note, so here's the next chapter for you all. Enjoy and don't forget to let me know what you thought! I'll be working hard to get another chapter out to you guys when I get the chance.**

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><p>Kyoya grits his teeth all the way home. He'd sat outside her apartment for half an hour before finally leaving. He makes it to his room with his composure trying not to alarm the staff or his family. But once the door is closed, he lets out a bellowing shout that scares Mika into the bathroom. He starts throwing things, much like how he had back in middle school when Tamaki had pissed him off. This time, however, he was raging mad, so furious that he couldn't contain it. More than anything, though, he was hurt. He was hurting so much that he didn't know how else to express it than to scream and throw things.<p>

His bookshelves were in ruins. His couch pillows were shredded. His couch, all but destroyed. He's flipped the coffee table over and broken the glass on top of it. His set of table and chairs was utterly destroyed. All of his schoolbooks and school related items were in a pile across the room, strewn about like they were a nuisance. He had lost his shirt in the process. His shoes were scattered at the door. His socks had come off and his hair was in disarray. He stormed about, growling, then crying out again, then throwing the nearest thing in sight, and doing it all over again. When he ran out of things to throw, he turned to the only place left untouched.

When he got to the bathroom, he spotted Mika behind the toilet, fearful of him. It made him stop. Her big blue eyes, fearful and scared, not sure what she was experiencing and afraid of her master. It touches him, reminding him of Maria, making his feelings simmer down to nothing but loneliness and sadness. He sobs, picking Mika up and climbing the stairs to his bed. He falls on it with her, taking off his glasses and covering his eyes with his pillow.

He wept. Sobs and tears ran down his face. And in that moment, Kyoya Otori realized that, instead of making her fall in love with him, that he had fallen in love with the beautiful painter instead. It wasn't like he'd planned for this—his feelings—but nevertheless, it was too late now. She'd taken hold of his heart and wasn't going to be going away anytime soon.

Mika cuddles him, mewing, unsure why her master was upset, but wanting to comfort him and wishing he felt better. Kyoya Otori wept until his tears ran dry, and then he fell asleep. He didn't do his homework. He didn't eat dinner. He just slept and dreamed of his beautiful painter and her beautiful brown hair and even more captivating hazel-green eyes, escaping the reality for a while to remind himself why he loved her and what it was about her that had made him feel this way.

I wake to the sound of banging on my door. Tori's screaming at me. It must have been the whole night, because light was outside. I slept all that time after crying, and it didn't make me feel the least bit better.

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><p>"Get up lazybones! Time for school!" I groan and tell her I'll be along later. She leaves me be and once she's gone for school I get up. I make myself breakfast and walk around the house in a zombie-like state. For a while, I'm just fading in and out of my mind. But as it nears two o'clock I dress and make my way to school, arriving just before three to meet Maricella and give her what she wants.<p>

I just hope that this is worth it in the end. I hope she keeps her promise and I hope that the pain that I'm feeling right now will fade soon. It's tearing me apart and I can hardly function. How can this even be fair?

No, no. I can't think like that. This is for Tori, Tamaki, Haruhi, and Hikaru. This is for their happiness. My own happiness is so meaningless in comparison to four other peoples' happiness. I can't let my selfishness and my pain get in the way of this decision. I have to do what is right.

"Ah, you came. I was starting to think you might not show up today. You weren't in school and the Otori boy looked much worse for the wear. I take it you told him?" She asks as I walk into the room. I simply nod, then sigh.  
>"I let him go. He's all yours." She chuckles, no doubt mocking the look on my face. I'm vulnerable and I can't hide how this makes me feel. I just wish I could wring this bitch's neck for what she's made me do. She deserves nothing more than to a swift, hard kick in the ass...and maybe a knife to the throat.<p>

But, you know, that's considered murder and not socially acceptable.

"Not so hard, was it? And because of your generous gift, I'll make sure he's happy. Your sister and Haruhi are safe as well. I do hope you'll visit and do some paintings for me, Maria. You really are a master of your trade." She walks out of the room, leaving me there, her voice like I'm some sort of bug or stain on her shoe. She's taunting me, making fun of me, waving Kyoya in my face like a prize. I sit on the couch and weep for a bit, then manage to get home before Tori does and lock myself in my room again.

All hell breaks loose when she gets home.

"Maria! Open this fucking door right now! You need to explain yourself!" I sigh.

"Go away Tori. I don't want to talk right now. I promise I'll talk to you when I'm ready, just...not right now. Please." She growls.

"No! This is serious! What the fuck did you do? Why?! What happened?!" I ignore her and pull my pillow over my head, falling asleep and praying that maybe I'll wake up from this horrible nightmare.

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><p>On Saturday Kyoya is woken up at 6AM and told that he needs to be in his father's office by 8AM. He gets ready and is there early, and when he finds out why he's there, he can hardly contain himself in front of his father. He forces himself to, but suddenly everything Maria had done makes sense. And it made him so boiling mad the only thing he wanted to do was harm the woman in front of him and his father.<p>

Yoshio rises from his desk, greeting Maricella at the door and walking her to a chair. A common courtesy she receives a little too willingly and desperately. Kyoya grits his teeth but remains stoic.

"Ah, Maricella Estrella, from Estrellla Corps. Welcome to Japan. I trust your stay has been pleasant?" She musters a pathetically large and very fake smile.  
>"Yes, I have. It's a beautiful country if I do say so myself." Kyoya knew that everything was fake. His dad was formal and polite, but he knew just as well that everything around this woman was nothing but trouble and lies.<br>"Your father said he had business. What did he want?" She clears her throat.  
>"Getting right down to it? My father always admired that about you." She says. Yoshio says nothing, waiting for a response. He wasn't one for pleasantries—he was a practical businessman at heart—and her attempts to make herself presentable and likeable were falling very, very short.<p>

"He wants our families to unite and become partners. He wanted me to come here and humbly ask that our families join together through my unity with your son, Kyoya. He's offering my hand in marriage and my very large dowry in exchange for a business partnership with your company." Kyoya's father sits back, looking at her for a moment. She'd over-emphasized the words "very large", meaning she was trying to use wealth to seduce Yoshio into the offer. Unfortunately for her, Kyoya's father couldn't care less about money or property.  
>"Well, I'll need a few days to think on that one, Miss Estrella. Might I give your father a call and talk to him?" She nods with a furious blush, obviously embarrassed at how little he reacted to her previous statement.<p>

"Yes, of course! He would like nothing more, I'm sure. We would be flattered and humbled to be a partner of yours, Otori-sama." She says, and Kyoya's fists are clenched. She's desperate, trying so hard to impress a man that is probably the hardest to impress—Kyoya knew that firsthand.  
>"We'll have to see. I'll have your answer in a few days. I hope the rest of your visit here is just as pleasant, Miss Estrella." She rises and leaves, and as soon as she's gone, Kyoya's father shakes his head with a sigh.<p>

"That woman has no idea. The nerve of the Spanish nobility. Kyoya, I want you to find me everything you can on her and her family." He demands, looking his son in the eyes. Kyoya turns to him.  
>"Yes father." Kyoya says. Then Yoshio stands and walks to the window in his office. Kyoya hadn't been dismissed yet, so that meant there was more to talk about.<p>

It was quiet for a few moments. Kyoya wanted nothing more than to charge out and start working on his father's request. He wanted to bury Maricella and her family so deep in dirt that they would never be seen with the wealthy again. He wanted to make sure that she never, ever came between him and Maria again. He would do whatever it took to get her back. He wasn't going to give her up that easily.

"Tell me, Kyoya...what do you know of the painter? Maria, I believe? She's so very fascinating, and I would very much like to meet her." Kyoya's heart lurches painfully at the mention of her name. Yet, he's not too terribly surprised that his father was interested. She'd mouthed off to him before, but his father liked it when people had a certain fire in them. Yet she left a bad taste in his mouth, even though he was sure that their sudden break-up had almost everything to do with Maricella. He just needed the proof.

"She's a commoner and nothing more, father." Kyoya says bitterly. Yoshio notices this bitterness and walks to Kyoya. His face is composed but Yoshio sees that his eyes are ablaze.  
>"Oh really? Then I suppose this video means nothing to you?" He pulls out his tablet and shows the video to Kyoya. It was the same video Maricella had shown to Maria, of him and Maria in a tight and erotic lip lock as his hands groped and touched her everywhere he could reach. The emotion is no longer hidden as he clenches his fists. This video...wherever it had come from, it was the reason Maria was no longer with him. This video was easy blackmail. Kyoya knew now exactly what had happened. And all he wanted was to get her back.<p>

But now that his father knew, what chance did he have in making her his again? His father wasn't fond of commoners mixing with his children, but Maria and Tori both had a way of worming into people's hearts.

"This was sent to me in an anonymous email last night. I do find it odd that you would keep something like this so secretly, especially from me. I may not like commoners, Kyoya, but I do like Maria. I want her to work for us. You will repair your relationship with her. As for this video, I have pulled strings to make sure it won't be released on the internet for everyone to see. Get me my information and repair your relationship with the painter, and I promise you that we will be rid of this Spanish pest." Kyoya's father sits at his desk, the disgust in his voice prominent. He wasn't happy with Maricella, and he knew that his son wasn't happy with her either. He was always the most perceptive man Kyoya knew. He somehow knew that Maria and Kyoya had been an item. How much of one was evident in this video. And yet, he wasn't phased by their intimacy. In fact, he wanted it to continue. Kyoya could hardly contain his excitement. He wanted to run to Maria and tell her everything, make it all better and make her his again. He missed her. Two days without her and he missed her so much that he felt like his chest would burst. Kyoya bowed to his father, leaving the room and concealing his excitement. He got back to his room—repaired under his father's nose, thankfully—and shrugs off his jacket, pulling out his laptop and cell phone.

Then, his real work begins.

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><p>It's not so bad, being alone in one room for a long time. You get used to things very quickly, and it's a comfort to be in your own space. It's like being in your head, only you're in a physical space instead of a made up one. I may sound crazy, I know, but when you're left alone you can sometimes go crazy. I feel heavy—I can't seem to force myself to be vertical. I have no willpower. I don't want to move. Kyoya was everything to me, and without him...moving on is so hard. Can we still go to the same school? Probably. Same class? Maybe not. The rest of the school year wouldn't be so bad, and when we get to be seniors I can make sure I have most of my day outside of regular classes.<p>

He's probably hurting so bad right now. If he's found anything out, he's probably furious with me and with Maricella. Getting back together, even if somehow she is made to leave, seems so unlikely. He probably hates me for doing this. Hates that I made a decision on my own. But it's too late now, and I did what I thought was right.

So why does it hurt so damn bad?

I finally manage to come out of my room, and sit down at the table. Tori walks over to me, sitting down. I don't know how many days it's been, but I know it's been a few because I'm really, really hungry and feel like I haven't slept in days.

"What happened?" I sniff and try to hold back from crying, running my hands through my hair.

Ugh, I need a shower. Bad.

"It's...complicated." I say, and then she folds her arms. The look on her face lets me know she's not going to just take that. I knew she wouldn't, but part of me still doesn't want to talk about it. Though the only way I'm every going to move on is to have someone to lean on until I'm strong enough to get over it on my own.

"I've got all night. Spit it out, and don't you dare skip anything." She's mad, which isn't surprising. I would be too, if our places were reversed. I sigh, sniffing again and rubbing my eyes.

I come clean with her. I tell her everything, from receiving the threatening note, to the blackmail video, to the breakup and how I did it...I tell her what I said, why I said it. I even told her why I did it, what my reasoning was, and why I didn't say anything to anyone. She slaps me a couple of times, but I deserve it. Then she starts to cry, so frustratingly upset at me and sad at the same time.

"That isn't fair, Maria. You don't get to make decisions like that alone. I don't want you to do things like that...our happiness isn't worth all of this." I sob a little. I know she's right. I know that I should have thought about it more. But I was backed into a corner with no time to really think about it. I stand by my decision regardless. I wanted to do it for her, and now she gets to be happy. That's enough for me to move on. Whether I can tell her that...will take some time.

"I didn't know what else to do, Tori. And now I've lost quite possibly the most amazing boy ever. I don't know what to feel...I'm so numb I can't even function. I don't even want to paint anymore. I want to lay down...and then never wake up." I say, and she hugs me furiously.  
>"We'll figure it out. Don't give up...there may be something we can do." She says.<p>

I hope she's right, but then again, nothing ever goes the way I want it to.


	51. Moving Forward

**So...I know I'm a a bit of a disappointment, but be it that it's winter break, I'm back to give you another chapter of Maria and Kyoya. I know I left you guys on a cliffhanger so I want to take you all off of it and resolve everything! Now, the reason I came back was because miss MikaXichi and I have had a brief but heartwarming PM conversation, and I was reading through it again and it inspired me to publish what I had stored away. I don't know how long it will be before I finally write more, but I want to continue to try and come out with something every once in a while. If you still read this, thanks so much and know that your emails don't go unnoticed. I'm super happy that all of you like this story so much, and you keep me inspired. Please review this chapter and tell me what you think of the resolution...and Kyoya's true feelings. Tally ho!**

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><p>After the third straight day of missed classes, Tamaki shows up at his friend's place and stumbles upon a very tired and stressed Kyoya. It was clear he hadn't eaten much and hadn't slept at all, and on top of that probably hadn't showered. His entire coffee table and the floor around it was covered in documents, photos, anything and everything that could be thought of. Tamaki figured it was research of some sort that he was doing, and more than likely, it had everything to do with Maricella and her family.<p>

His friend was even smoking cigarettes to keep himself awake. And who knows how many cups of coffee had been poured into the mug sitting beside him. Tamaki was astonished by what he was seeing, not sure whether to believe his eyes or not.

"Kyoya, what the hell? What is all this? I've never seen you like this." Kyoya looks up at Tamaki, not even realizing he had been there. He shrugs and takes a drag on his cigarette.  
>"This is all of the dirt I could dig up on the Estrella Corps and their entire family. Criminal history, bank records, bad business deals, mafia ties...you name it, they've done it. They're worse than the average business, and that's saying something." He puts out his cigarette and readjusts his glasses, rubbing his eyes.<br>"You need some sleep, my friend." Tamaki says, trying to sound encouraging and convincing at the same time. Kyoya stretches and groans.  
>"I can't, Tamaki. I've tried, and all I see when I close my eyes is Maria. I can't sleep until I have so much dirt on Maricella that, if she released her videos and photos, would bring her more harm than good. I can't sleep until Maria is mine again." Tamaki is taken back a bit, never having heard his friend speak like this. Is that what was driving him to be like this?<br>"You should shower and sleep. You have all of this covered. Maria will be back before you know it. Right now you need sleep...and no more cigarettes." Kyoya grumbles.

"I...I can't. I've tried to sleep, Tamaki. I can't." Kyoya tries to explain desperately to his blond friend. Tamaki looks confused and shows it.  
>"Why?" Kyoya runs his hand through his greasy hair, his heavy and dark eyes looking at the ceiling.<br>"...I love her, Tamaki. I fell in love with her, and I can't just...sleep when I know she's still out there, alone and hurt. She was blackmailed by Maricella into doing this to us. I have to get her back...I have to set things right." Tamaki sits down next to his friend.  
>"How do you know about the blackmail?" Kyoya gestures to his phone.<br>"Maria just went to bed. Tori called me and told me everything. Maria's just as much of a mess as I am, if not worse...she refuses to eat and said she doesn't want to paint anymore. She needs me just as much as I need her." Tamaki smiles. His two friends were really such pains when they were separated. The world fell apart when they weren't together. Of course it would be like that, Tamaki thought to himself.  
>"She's not going anywhere, Kyoya. Get some rest so you can meet Maricella in the morning and tell her. Then you can go get Maria back. You have everything you need. I'll even make sure Tori's out of the house for the day so you have Maria to yourself." Kyoya chuckles at Tamaki's insinuation, knowing nothing too lewd would really happen, but he did want to get his hands on her again and remind her why she was his.<p>

And so, Kyoya eats, falls into bed, then wakes in the morning and showers. He gets to school and meets Maricella at lunch in the same room she'd blackmailed Maria into breaking things off with him...the third student council room.

"So, do you have the deal from your father or not?" Maricella asks, all formalities dropped now that his father isn't present. It irks him that she has no sense of mutual respect, not to mention that she was the cause of his break-up with Maria.  
>"There is no deal, Maricella. You blackmailed my girlfriend into breaking things off so that you could have what you wanted." She gives him a nasty scowl.<br>"What makes you so sure? When your father finds out about your relationship with that commoner, he'll—"  
>"She has a name, Maricella. And my father knew about your ploy as soon as you came to us. Your family is desperate for money because your brother owes severe gambling debts to the mafia. You also happen to have a sex tape that, if leaked, counts as child pornography and sends your lover to jail. Your father has been laundering money for drugs for over 20 years now. Should I keep going? Any one of these stories, if leaked, will ruin your family and overshadow any possible photos or videos that you may have. You will be marked a whore and thrown into the streets, and your family will go into severe debt. Is that really what you want, Maricella?" She sits down, scared but defiant.<p>

"You can't threaten me! She is a commoner and nothing more! Why would you want to be with her in the first place? She is nothing compared to people like us!" He clenches his fists, the answer clear as the blue sky.  
>"<em>I<em> love her. And _you_ need to leave. You aren't welcome in this school or this country anymore. If I so much as get a hint of you coming to this country, I will release all of this information. And if you release any of those photos or videos, I will also release your family's history. Do I make myself clear?" She swallows hard, then nods.  
>"Then get the fuck out of my face and go home." She gets up and leaves, her face pale. Kyoya sits down to cool off, taking a deep breath.<p>

* * *

><p>I have the house to myself today. I woke up early, cleaned, then showered and dressed in some nice clothes. Despite a heavy heart, I'm feeling okay today. I pulled on a white blouse and a red pleated skirt that falls to just above my knees. I have my blouse unbuttoned a little bit, and my hair is curled and long. I sigh as I clean the studio, pulling everything out and putting it away neater than before. If I'm ever going to paint again, I want to have easy access to everything. I sit in the studio for a while, pencil and paper in hand, but nothing comes to my mind. I've lost my spark, my fire, and my inspiration. I feel so demoralized. The one thing I could always use as an escape...gone. I sniff and try to hold back tears as I throw the sketchpad and pencil aside, hugging my knees and looking out the large glass wall to see the Tokyo skyline.<p>

I'm glad I finished up my commissions stack before I broke things off with Kyoya. I wouldn't have been able to finish if it had happened sooner. For that, at least, I am thankful. It'll keep money around for awhile...but I may have to find a job or start pawning off my other paintings. Tori does what she can, but gigs are few and far between for her. Not reliable enough to live on. I sigh, standing up and walking toward my art supplies.

I go back to cleaning, and I notice a picture laying on the ground as I move my paintings around the room. I pull it up, and it's from the festival. Kyoya and I are dancing, my violet dress in motion. Tori and Tamaki are in the background, dancing as the orchestra had played without their principal violinist.

Kyoya was wearing a matching violet boutonniere that night. I look so happy...and so does he. I remember that night...how it felt to be in his arms. Perfection. Like nothing else mattered. Like we were the only ones in the world. Like I was his...

I feel a tear fall down my cheek, my heart aching.

"I miss you so much, Kyoya." I say to myself. I hug the photo to me, remembering that beautiful New Years night.

_I will make you fall in love with me._

"I wanted you to. I was already starting to...and I'm so sorry that I ruined it." I say out loud. I sob for a while, memories of what used to be haunting me. He was gone. He wasn't mine anymore. He now belonged to some stupid rich bitch with too much influence and power over my life. The Kyoya I knew was gone...and there was no hope for me. I feel like...I should just quit. I should just stop trying. Why bother when everything seems so hopeless?

He was mine and now he's gone. I don't know what I did, karma, but I don't think even a sinner like me deserves this.

I sob uncontrollably for a while, wallowing in my pain. I want to remember it. I will get that rich bitch back some day. One day she'll regret ever getting in my way.

I hear a knock at the door, and I ignore it. I don't want to see anyone right now. I don't want to be bothered. I'm having a really intimate and vulnerable moment...the least I could have was some privacy, right?

The knock sounds again and I groan. Picture in hand, I descend the stairs and look out of the peephole. I put a hand over my mouth to keep from gasping.

It's Kyoya. He's wet from the rain, but the umbrella in his hand shows he's not soaked to the bone.

What's he doing here? Shouldn't he be at school?

"Maria, I know you're in there. I want to talk." I lean my back gently against the door and sigh after he steps forward to the door, placing his hand against it.

"You don't have to do this, Maria. I know you didn't mean it." I shake my head, not wanting to believe what he's saying. Why haunt me with this? Why reaffirm how stupid I am?

"You lied to me. Maricella blackmailed you. I know that now." I shake my head again. Why did Tori tell him? It only makes things that much worse.

"You did it to protect your sister and Haruhi. You did it to protect Tamaki and Hikaru." I wipe away my tears, but they're flowing so fast I can't stop them. So he knows that, too. That's just...fantastic. Thanks a lot, Tori.

"You didn't have to. Maricella's going home." Another pause. I sniffle, looking at the photo. And? We can have a secret relationship while she's gone? What's his point?

"My father wants us to be together." My heart stops. What did he just say?

"Maricella leaked him the video anyway. He didn't really care about that, at all. He wants us to be together, Maria." I stand up straight, not sure how to react. My body is numb.

"Maria...I don't know what else to say. I can't be without you. I don't want to be. And...I want to tell you the truth about how I feel about you. But I want to tell you to your face. Please, come out and talk to me." He sounds so desperate and hurt. He sounds like how I feel.

If this is all true...then we're in the clear. I don't have to be without him. Tori will be happy. So will everyone else. We can move on...forget about what happened and be happy together. It's almost too good to be true...like some sappy love story in comic book form.

I turn around and open the door, flinging myself into his arms. He holds me close, his arms squeezing me tightly as he drops the umbrella. He holds me tight as I cry into him, sobbing uncontrollably. His embrace is tight...desperate. He missed me just as much as I missed him. God, this boy is perfect.

"God dammit, Maria. You make me so mad sometimes...I just want to strangle you." He says, and I sob into his arms more, unable to form words. He lifts me up, bringing me inside and shutting the door. He locks it and presses me against the wall, my legs straddling his hips as he looks into my eyes. There is fire in his eyes, a burning flame I don't quite understand. His closeness feels so good to me...so hot, so...attractive and dominant. I'm like jelly in his arms, tears streaming down my face.

"Don't you ever—and I mean_ ever_—do that to me again. Next time you come to me, no matter what she or anyone else ever says. Got it?" I nod, tears falling down my face as our eyes lock.

God, he's gorgeous. I could fall into those eyes forever.

"Good. Now shut up and let me kiss you." I cock an eyebrow. Had I said anything since opening the door?  
>"But I haven't—" He silences me with a kiss, and it's hungry. There's nothing gentle about this kiss. His hips press harder into me, one hand on the back of my neck, the other on my thigh, holding me as I'm pinned to the wall. I help him shrug off his coat as he continues to kiss me, his tongue invading my mouth. A soft sound escapes my lips. It only spurs him further, kissing me even more feverishly and making my hair stand on end and shivers run up my spine.<p>

I can't stop the moan that falls from my lips as he nibbles at my neck. I pull his dress shirt out of his pants and undo the buttons swiftly, one by one. He smirks and lifts me into his arms again, carrying me into the studio, closing and locking the door and laying me flat on the floor. He kisses me again, climbing on top of me. I flush furiously, unsure what to do or say. Was this really happening? Did we really just take four huge relationship steps in the last three minutes?

My heart is pounding so loud and fast I'm sure he could hear it. And probably the neighbors too.

His hands paw at my shirt, but then the buttons start coming undone. I flush and try to hide myself but he stops me by kissing down my neck to my collarbone, leaving a trail of kisses down my sternum and then to the valley between my breasts. He kisses the top of each one lightly.

"Kyoya...what are you doing?" I ask, nearly breathless. He smirks, lifting himself to my lips and kissing me. He puts a hand on the small of my back, pressing my hips into his. The friction feels so good, and the heat...I feel something pushing against me, and I flush furiously when I realize what's pressing into me. I moan into the kiss as he gently bucks into me. I feel heat pooling in my belly. What is going on? Is this...are we...  
>"I love you, Maria." He says as he pulls away from my lips slightly, his forehead leaning against mine, looking into my eyes. My heart stops as I hear this. First the passionate kisses and embraces, and now this? All while he's so close? What...is going on?<br>"...what?" I ask softly, and he smiles. It's a genuine, happy smile. And it's beautiful.  
>"I love you. I wanted you to know that I love you, Maria." I flush. He's got to be joking. And it's not funny.<br>"No you don't." I say, denying it. He chuckles at me, caressing my cheek gently.  
>"I love you." He says again. I feel my face on fire.<br>"Stop saying that!" I say, and he shakes his head. I feel tears pouring down my face.  
>"No. I can't lie to you and I won't stop until you believe me. I love you, Maria." He says, kissing me again. We stay like this for so long I become lightheaded. A groan escapes his lips as I adjust my body to accommodate his weight.<p>

"Don't move too much. I have to control myself enough without your squirming." I flush when he says this. Can he just...not? Please? I'm so embarrassed already.  
>"Don't say that." I say, and he chuckles darkly.<br>"Don't believe me? I can show you how much I want you." He starts kissing down my stomach and I squirm. He moves to my legs and kisses my knees, then starts to push up my skirt and plant kisses on my thighs. They're long, drawn out kisses, and they make my body heat up in anticipation. The pool in my belly increases, and I moan as he plants a long kiss on the inside of my thigh.

"Believe me yet?" He asks, and I flush and look away. He gently grabs my chin, kissing me again and pressing his body flush against mine. My hands run over his chest, feeling his skin under my fingertips. He then runs a hand along my hip down across my thigh to my calf, his long arms caressing me. He brings his hand back up and it dips between my thighs, gently squeezing as it makes its way upward very, very slowly. He refuses to let my mouth go from his, but his hand is all I can focus on right now.

"Hey Maria, are you in there? Come out of there right now. Why did you lock yourself in there?!"  
>"Tori, please...Kyoya's here with her. The umbrella was outside and the limo is parked. Let's go get lunch, sweetheart..."<br>"No! I have to make sure Kyoya isn't killing her!" There's a struggle as Tamaki pulls my sister down the stairs. Kyoya and I had frozen in terror, afraid to move or speak. Our position was so very compromising.  
>"She is fine, darling. Let's go eat. You can see Maria later. Let them be alone for a while."<br>"Why? So he can deflower my sister in the heat of the moment?" I flush a dark crimson at her outburst and Kyoya chuckles darkly.  
>"Leave them be, Tori. Please, dear, come eat with me. I'm starving and so are you." She sighs and grumbles as they descend the stairs. When I hear the door slam, I relax a little. Kyoya kisses me again, and I break away shortly afterward.<p>

"You weren't really going to go that far, were you?" He looks at me, confused for a moment, then chuckles.  
>"Not if you didn't want me to, my love. I wouldn't force myself on you." He says, and I sigh heavily with a nod.<br>"I didn't think you would but...things were getting intense." I say. He nods, standing up and pulling me upright. We fix our clothes and then look at each other. Our eyes lock and we stand there for a few moments. He grabs my hands and holds them firmly in his, his eyes holding a softness that I've never seen before. It's like...something's changed.

Did he really mean what he said? Did he really love me?

That's crazy. So crazy...yet I can't just dismiss it. He's not lying in the slightest. He means what he said.

"Maria...please don't do that to me again. I don't know what I would do if I lost you again." I look at him for a moment, confused. I'm trying to come to terms with what he's said, and I can't form words.

"I know it's a lot all at once. It's not like me to come out and say this to you so suddenly. I know it hasn't been too terribly long, but when I lost you...I thought my heart would die. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you and being forced into a situation beyond my control. I was livid and out of control without you. You keep me sane...you make me happy. I love you, Maria, and if it takes days of hearing it, weeks, years, however long, I will keep saying it until you believe me. I am never, ever letting you go again." He embraces me, and I sob softly before hugging him tightly.

* * *

><p><strong>DAWWW! SO CUTE !)&amp;!$(&amp;! #(!*#&amp;!^$<strong>

**Alright lovelies, let me know what you think and if you liked it. If you have ideas for what you'd like to see in the future, I'm thinking of making small episodes of their relationship to put some time in between the next story arc. It would seem a little silly to jump forward about six months with nothing in between, so if you have any ideas for what you'd like to see happen (besides lemons, because I have that planned out already ;P) leave a review or PM me and I'll get on it straight away! I'll even give you credit for the idea! So go ahead and hit that review button or send me a message! LET YOUR NAUGHTY AND/OR NICE IDEAS FLOW THROUGH YOU!**

**Much love,**

**Mari-chan :3 3**


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